Trump Blast Halts UK Plan to Hand Over Strategic Islands

A major deal to transfer control of a key Indian Ocean territory has been paused by the United Kingdom. The agreement would have given formal sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. The sudden halt follows sharp criticism from former U.S. President Donald Trump. He publicly called the British plan “an act of great stupidity.” The islands are home to a strategically important joint U.S.-UK military base. Diego Garcia, the largest island, has served as a critical facility for American forces for decades. The UK has administered the archipelago since 1965. Mauritius has long claimed ownership. Both nations had been negotiating a handover. No new timeline for the sovereignty talks has been announced. The future of the base, a cornerstone of U.S. military operations in the region, is now uncertain.