UK Foreign Secretary to Meet Rubio Amid Renewed U.S. Criticism Over Chagos Deal

AP

Britain's Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in a previous meeting.

Britain’s Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper is scheduled to meet U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Friday, following renewed criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump over the United Kingdom’s decision to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands, home to a key joint U.S.–UK air base.

Last year, Prime Minister Keir Starmer agreed to a deal transferring sovereignty of the Indian Ocean archipelago to Mauritius, while retaining control of Diego Garcia under a 99-year lease to preserve U.S. military operations at the base. Washington initially endorsed the agreement; however, President Trump has since shifted his position several times.

In January, President Trump described the arrangement as an act of “great stupidity”. Earlier this month, he indicated that he understood it to be the best agreement available to Starmer, before renewing his criticism this week.

Cooper’s meeting with Rubio in Washington will focus on defence and security matters, as President Trump intensifies rhetoric towards Iran, warning that Tehran must reach an agreement over its nuclear programme within 10 to 15 days or face serious consequences.

The Diego Garcia base has recently supported operations in the Middle East, including actions against Yemen’s Houthi forces and the delivery of humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

Although the U.S. State Department reaffirmed its support for the Chagos agreement earlier this week, President Trump subsequently stated that Britain was making a significant error. In a post on Truth Social, he wrote: “DO NOT GIVE AWAY DIEGO GARCIA!”, arguing that the base could be required in any future military operation to counter a potential threat from Iran.

Under the terms governing use of the joint facility, the United Kingdom must grant prior approval for operations launched from Diego Garcia.

On Thursday, Britain's The Times newspaper reported that President Trump's latest criticism of the Chagos deal came because Britain was yet to give permission to use the bases for future strikes against Iran, owing to concerns they may breach international law.

Source: Reuters



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