Trump changed mind on Chagos deal ‘after UK blocked use of Diego Garcia for Iran strikes’

Trump changed mind on Chagos deal ‘after UK blocked use of Diego Garcia for Iran strikes’ US president links deal with military strikes against Iran in connection with Tehran’s nuclear ambitions Donald Trump changed his mind on supporting the Chagos Islands deal because the UK will not permit its airbases to be used for a pre-emptive US strike on Iran, the Guardian has been told. In his latest change of heart on the deal, the US president said on social media that Keir Starmer was “making a big mistake” by handing sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius in exchange for continued use by the UK and US of their airbase on one of the islands, Diego Garcia. While Trump had previously criticised the plan, which is backed by the US state department, earlier in February he had described it as the “best” deal Starmer could make in the circumstances. But in Trump’s post on his own Truth Social site he linked the deal with US military strikes against Iran in connection with Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, which are believed to be imminent . He wrote: “Should Iran decide not to make a Deal, it may be necessary for the United States to use Diego Garcia, and the Airfield located in Fairford, in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous Regime.” A pre-emptive strike on Iran would be unlikely to be in line with the UK’s interpretation of international law. US bases in the UK, like Fairford in Gloucestershire, the home for US B-2 bombers in Europe, are only used for military operations if the UK government agrees and they are considered legal. UK government sources said this was viewed as the reason for Trump to again turn against the Chagos plan. On Tuesday night, Starmer and Trump spoke in a conversation that covered the situation in Iran, although the Downing Street readout of the call made no mention of the Chagos plan. The hope in No 10 is that Trump will again change his mind. The bill setting out the Chagos agreement is due to return to the House of...