Story perspectives

UK Pauses £101 Million Lease After Chagos Review

By Drooid · Sep 23, 2026, 2:36 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Britain announced a review of the Chagos Islands sovereignty transfer after President Donald Trump criticised the deal at the UN.
The review led the UK to pause £101 million-plus annual lease payments for the Diego Garcia base.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said Britain halted the agreement in April after Trump withdrew support.
The 2019 International Court of Justice ruling found Britain’s separation of the Chagos Islands from Mauritius unlawful.

History

Historical Context

In 1965, the United Kingdom detached the Chagos Archipelago from Mauritius, forming the British Indian Ocean Territory to host a U.S. military base. The United States subsequently agreed to pay the United Kingdom roughly $112 million annually for the Diego Garcia lease, a sum later cited as £101 million. Today, Britain’s review of the Chagos transfer, prompted by Donald Trump’s UN criticism, echoes the original dispute over the 1965 detachment. The 2019 International Court of Justice ruling and the paused lease payments signal renewed pressure for Mauritius to regain sovereignty over the islands.

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Story summary

Britain announced a review of the Chagos Islands sovereignty transfer after President Donald Trump criticised the deal at the UN.
The review led the UK to pause £101 million-plus annual lease payments for the Diego Garcia base.
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said Britain halted the agreement in April after Trump withdrew support.
The 2019 International Court of Justice ruling found Britain’s separation of the Chagos Islands from Mauritius unlawful.

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