Boris Johnson and Liz Truss ‘lobbied Trump to block Starmer’s Chagos deal’
Two former prime ministers ‘wanted Trump to block UK Chagos Island deal’
- Boris Johnson and Liz Truss reportedly lobbied Donald Trump to block the UK's plan to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
- Donald Trump recently urged Sir Keir Starmer not to 'give away Diego Garcia', an island in the archipelago home to a joint UK-US military base, despite Washington's official backing for the deal.
- Trump's change of stance, calling the agreement a 'big mistake', is reportedly due to Britain's refusal to allow the White House to use the base for a potential military campaign against Iran.
- The UK government's position on base usage is based on concerns over breaching international law, as operations require prior consent and compliance with UK and international law.
- Yvette Cooper is meeting US counterpart Marco Rubio in Washington, where the Chagos Islands deal is expected to be a significant topic of discussion.
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