The United Kingdom has reportedly rejected a request from the United States to use its airbases for a potential military attack on Iran. The US had sought to use these military bases, but the UK denied the request. According to a report by Daily Mail, US President Donald Trump was said to be disappointed by the UK’s decision. Additionally, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s agreement to transfer the Chagos Islands to Mauritius has also been withdrawn, according to the same report.
The US is reportedly preparing for a military strike on Iran and wanted to use both the Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford airbases in the UK for this purpose. Diego Garcia, the largest of the Chagos Islands, has been a shared military base between the UK and the US since the 1970s.
Under previous agreements, any British military base can only be used with the approval of the British Prime Minister. International law suggests that if a country provides support to military action they know is unlawful, it could be held accountable. This legal concern was likely a factor in the UK’s refusal to grant access.
Trump has criticized the UK’s stance on the Chagos Islands, stating that a 100-year lease for any country is not a wise decision. He further stated that abandoning a base like Diego Garcia would be a serious mistake. Trump emphasized that if Iran does not come to an agreement with the US, the US may need to use Diego Garcia and Fairford for operations in the Indian Ocean, making control of these bases critical.
Meanwhile, the UK government justifies its stance by stating that the agreement with Mauritius is necessary for security reasons, and it would avoid long and costly legal disputes. The entire deal, it is reported, could cost around £35 billion (over 4 trillion NPR).
Diego Garcia is part of the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean, which the UK took control of after defeating Napoleon in 1814. In 1965, the islands were separated from Mauritius to form the British Indian Ocean Territory. When Mauritius gained independence in 1968, the UK initially planned to return the islands, but later, the US and the UK established a joint military base on Diego Garcia.
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