UK and US Leaders Discuss Strategic Military Base Issue

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and U.S. President Donald Trump held a phone conversation on Tuesday regarding the joint military base located on Diego Garcia Island. According to Jin10, the issue has been a point of contention between the two nations, especially after President Trump reversed his stance on supporting the return of the island's sovereignty to Mauritius. The British side noted in the call summary that both leaders acknowledged the strategic importance of the base and agreed that their governments would continue to collaborate closely to ensure its future operations, with plans to communicate again soon. Last month, UK-US relations were strained when President Trump unexpectedly criticized the plan to transfer the island, situated approximately 2,000 miles off the East African coast, to Mauritius—a plan he had previously supported. Under the original agreement, the UK had consented to transfer control of the Chagos Archipelago, which includes Diego Garcia, to Mauritius, while maintaining the base's operations through an annual fee. President Trump condemned the plan last month, labeling it as a "complete act of weakness" and "extremely foolish."