The White House is considering an independent plan to acquire the Chagos Islands from Mauritius, a move that would leave the United Kingdom out of the talks and could alter the fight over control of Diego Garcia. U.S. officials want to secure the strategic military asset in the Indian Ocean, while regular discussions continue between Washington and Downing Street.
The proposal surfaced on Sunday, when the Telegraph reported that officials were weighing options to keep British Prime Minister Keir Starmer from transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius. It is one of several strategies under review, showing how much the future of the islands has become tied to the broader U.S.-British relationship.
Diego Garcia is at the center of the dispute because of its military value. The island has long been treated as a strategic foothold in the Indian Ocean, and any change in ownership or sovereignty would carry consequences well beyond the map. That is why Washington is still talking to Downing Street even as it considers a separate channel with Mauritius.
The friction is simple but sharp: the White House is weighing a U.S.-only deal at the same time it is still in regular contact with the British government. The planned exclusion of London from negotiations would mark a break from the usual handling of a question that has already been paused once by the U.K. and drawn criticism from Trump.
Neither the White House nor the U.K. Foreign Office commented immediately on the report. What happens next is whether the current talks stay on the usual U.S.-British track or shift toward a direct American approach with Mauritius, a decision that could determine who controls Diego Garcia and how the Chagos Islands are handled from here.
