U.S. Backs Diego Garcia Deal for 99 Years of Rent-Free Access

 

A deal appears to be in the last stages of negotiation between Mauritius and the UK over the continued use of Diego Garcia, a key base for U.S. naval and air operations in the Middle East and Africa.  This follows President Trump’s approval of the detailed draft treaty which was announced on April 1. Both the UK and Mauritian government have indicated that they are keen to finalize the treaty as soon as possible.

However, Britain’s Reform Party, which has been ahead of both the governing Labour Party and the Conservative official opposition party in opinion polling over the last three months, promised on April 6 to annul any treaty signed should it be elected to power.  Richard Tice, the Deputy Leader of the party, said in a television interview that he was not surprised the United States supported the deal, because it gave the United States rent-free use of Diego Garcia for the next 99 years. The Reform Party would ‘rip up’ the treaty, on the basis that Mauritius accepted a deal in 1965 under which it accepted payment in return for surrendering all future claims to the Chagos Island archipelago.

CNN is reporting that the 6 B-2 “Spirit” Long-Range Strategic Stealth Bombers with the 509th Bomb Wing, which arrived recently at Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, are being used for strikes against the… pic.twitter.com/eTHDPoYn8A

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) April 4, 2025

Open source imagery analysts have in recent days identified B-2 Spirit long-range strategic bombers being loaded with munitions on the Diego Garcia apron, indicating that these aircraft are being used in the ongoing attacks against Houthi targets in Yemen.  There are also reports that the United States is moving the Arleigh Burke Class destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG-108) into position in the Chagos archipelago in order to strengthen local air defenses in the face of potential threat from Iran. USS Wayne E. Meyer has headed west out of the Malacca Straits and on April 3 was in the Indian Ocean.

Cmdr. Gerard Mauer, commanding officer of USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108), speaks to the crew on the ship’s announcement system, April 3 (USN)