UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer reportedly blocked the US from using key military bases following Trump’s threat to use them against Iran.
Starmer Blocks US Base Access
According to “The Times”, Starmer blocked the US from using a key base. On Wednesday, February 18, Donald Trump stated in a Truth Social post that if Iran does not agree to a deal regarding its nuclear program, “The United States may be forced to use Diego Garcia (a British-American military base on the Chagos archipelago) and British airbase at Fairford to eliminate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous regime”. According to unofficial reports from “The Times”, this raised concerns in the government that meeting American expectations would constitute “a violation of international law”. Consequently, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer blocked the possibility of the US using the base.
Sovereignty of the Chagos Islands
In 2024, the United Kingdom agreed to hand over administration of the Chagos archipelago to Mauritius, while retaining the right to lease it for at least 99 years. Both parties also committed to ensuring “the safe and efficient operation of the base, which plays a key role in regional and global security”. As written on the UK government website in 2024, the countries then received full support and assistance from the United States. According to reports from the Polish Institute of International Affairs, Trump initially accepted the agreement but later changed his mind.
Trump Criticizes Starmer
CNN confirmed that on Tuesday, Starmer and Trump held a phone call during which they discussed peace issues in the Middle East and Europe. The next day, the US president added a post. “I told UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer that lease agreements are not good when it comes to countries, and that he made a big mistake by signing a 100-year lease agreement with anyone who claims rights, title, and interests to Diego Garcia, a strategically located base in the Indian Ocean – wrote Trump and emphasized that US relations with the UK have been strong for many years, ‘but Prime Minister Starmer is losing control of this important island due to claims from entities about which we never knew before’.”