Trump Considering Chagos Acquisition Amid Stalled UK-Mauritius Deal
Diego Garcia, the largest island in the archipelago, was separated from Mauritius along with the rest of the Chagos Islands in 1965 and now houses a US military base.
United States President Donald Trump is considering a proposal to purchase the Chagos Islands from Mauritius, according to a report by the Telegraph, amid continued uncertainty over the future sovereignty of the disputed archipelago.
The Telegraph reported that the proposal would allow the United States to secure long-term control of the strategically important Diego Garcia military base by purchasing the territory directly from Mauritius, rather than relying on a sovereignty transfer agreement negotiated by the United Kingdom.
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According to the report, the proposal is among several options under consideration within the Trump administration and was reportedly put forward by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. However, it is not currently viewed as the leading option.
The Telegraph said the plan would require the islands to first come under Mauritian sovereignty, enabling the United States to negotiate a purchase directly with Mauritius. Previous legislation related to transferring sovereignty was reportedly shelved in April after the United States withdrew its support for the arrangement.
The Chagos Islands issue gained renewed international attention in May 2025 when the United Kingdom agreed to transfer sovereignty of the archipelago to Mauritius while allowing the United States and the United Kingdom to continue operating the Diego Garcia military base for 99 years.
However, the agreement was later paused in April following opposition from Trump. The Maldivian government welcomed the pause, describing it as an opportunity to reopen discussions involving the Maldives.
In March, President Mohamed Muizzu said the Maldives does not recognise the proposed agreement between the United Kingdom and Mauritius regarding the transfer of the Chagos Islands, according to reporting by the BBC.
Neither the White House nor Mauritian authorities had publicly commented on the Telegraph report at the time of publication.
