President Donald Trump is reportedly considering a proposal to purchase the Chagos Islands from Mauritius as discussions continue over the future of the strategically important Indian Ocean territory that is home to the joint U.S.-British military base on Diego Garcia.
According to reports, the proposal is among several options being examined by the White House as an alternative to a previously proposed agreement under which the United Kingdom would transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The plan would reportedly allow the United States to secure long-term control of Diego Garcia by negotiating directly with Mauritius if the islands were first made sovereign.
The White House did not respond to requests for comment on the reported proposal.
The Telegraph reported that the idea was presented by U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and brought to Trump, though it is not considered the leading option under review. Some officials within the administration have reportedly expressed concern that transferring the islands to Mauritius could pose security risks due to the country’s ties with China.
Britain paused its proposed sovereignty agreement in April after the United States withdrew support for the arrangement. Trump previously criticized the deal, calling it a “big mistake” in February.
Mauritius said on Monday that it has not received any proposal from the Trump administration regarding the islands.
“The Mauritian government has taken note of the information reported by the Telegraph. As at today, it has not received any official proposal and has not been approached, either directly or indirectly, by the US administration regarding a separate agreement concerning Diego Garcia or the Chagos Archipelago,” the government said in a statement, Reuters reported.
Mauritius also reiterated its position on ownership of the territory, stating, “Mauritius’s position remains unchanged: its sovereignty over the Chagos (Archipelago) is non-negotiable.”
Diego Garcia has long been viewed as a critical military asset for both the United States and the United Kingdom. Located in the central Indian Ocean, the base is approximately 2,360 miles from Iran and includes facilities capable of supporting long-range military operations.
The territory has drawn renewed attention amid the ongoing conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran. Iran has launched multiple strikes targeting the joint base since the conflict began, including an attack in late March that was intercepted by a U.S. warship. In March, the United Kingdom authorized the United States to launch missiles from Diego Garcia against Iranian missile launchers.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticized the decision, warning British Prime Minister Keir Starmer that he was “putting British lives at risk by allowing UK bases to be used for aggression against Iran,” The Guardian reported.
A spokesperson for the British government defended efforts to secure the base’s future, saying, “Diego Garcia is a key strategic military asset for both the UK and the US, which has protected our shared security for nearly 60 years,” per The Guardian.
The spokesperson added that maintaining operational control of the base remains central to negotiations with Mauritius.
Meanwhile, representatives of displaced Chagossians have continued pressing for a resolution. A delegation from the Chagos Refugees Group recently visited the United Kingdom and voiced support for the completion of an agreement on the islands’ future.
“The most important is our rights,” said delegation leader Louis Olivier Bancoult, according to The Guardian.
“There is not a real will for the British government to find a solution for our people. We need to find a way,” he added. “We’re still suffering and our position is clear, we have the right to live in our birthplace.”
The Chagos Islands dispute has remained unresolved for decades. Britain removed as many as 2,000 indigenous Chagossians from the islands during the late 1960s and 1970s to establish the military base on Diego Garcia. Under a previously proposed agreement, Britain would transfer sovereignty to Mauritius while paying approximately £101 million annually to retain use of the installation.
For now, no formal U.S. proposal has been presented, and officials on all sides continue to debate the future of one of the world’s most strategically significant island territories.
