Satellite images of the secretive US military base at the center of a new Trump controversy
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- President Trump is criticizing a UK decision that could affect US operations on Diego Garcia.
- Diego Garcia has been critical for US operations across the Middle East, Indo-Pacific, and Africa.
- Satellite images show US aircraft at the key base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.
"An act of great stupidity."
That is what President Donald Trump called the UK's decision to give away a group of islands where a strategic military base is located.
The Diego Garcia military base is a cornerstone of US and allied power projection across the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East, and parts of Africa. As the UK moves to transfer sovereignty of the islands, its strategic importance has turned the base into a political and diplomatic flash point.
The island's strategic location has long made it especially valuable for US military operations, including long-range bomber missions and naval deployments — a role underscored by satellite images last year showing US bombers operating from the base.
What is Trump saying about Diego Garcia?
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Located in the Chagos Islands, Diego Garcia became the site of a US-UK military installation after Britain forcibly removed the native Chagossian people in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Seven years ago, in 2019, the International Court of Justice ruled that the removals were unlawful and said that the UK should relinquish control of the islands.
The UK has since reached a deal to transfer the sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius, near Madagascar, while allowing Diego Garcia to remain under British control on a 99-year lease, with an option to renew. The arrangement is expected to cost the UK about $136 million a year.
US Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Anthony Hetlage
The UK government's decision was previously praised by the Trump administration as a "monumental achievement" that secured "the long-term, stable, and effective operation of the joint US-UK military facility at Diego Garcia."
Trump's assessment appears to have shifted.
"Shockingly, our 'brilliant' NATO Ally, the United Kingdom, is currently planning to give away the Island of Diego Garcia, the site of a vital U.S. Military Base, to Mauritius, and to do so FOR NO REASON WHATSOEVER," the president wrote on Truth Social Tuesday.
He said there was "no doubt" that Russia and China had "noticed this act of total weakness," arguing that the UK "giving away extremely important land is an act of GREAT STUPIDITY."
He stressed that the move "is another in a very long line of National Security reasons why Greenland has to be acquired." Trump has been increasingly focused on taking control of Greenland lately. He has argued its needed for Golden Dome, among other reasons.
The British prime minister's office told the BBC that "the president explicitly recognised its strength last year," adding that the Five Eyes intelligence agencies also approved of the transfer.
Trump said at the White House later on Tuesday that the deal had changed from its original format. "I think they should keep it," he said.
Why does the US have a military base on Diego Garcia?
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Diego Garcia has been a secretive military installation for the US and UK since the early 1970s. It's extremely remote, far from nearby landmasses, and strategically placed so that the US and UK have air power and maritime reach from the Indian Ocean toward the Middle East, Indo-Pacific, and Africa.
The base hosts units from the US Navy, Air Force, and Space Force, as well as the UK Royal Navy. Due to its geographical location, Diego Garcia is also critical for refueling operations for military aircraft and vessels. American bombers, such as B-1 Lancers, B-2 Spirits, and B-52 Stratofortresses, have been seen at the base, as well as nuclear-powered submarines.
From Diego Garcia, US bombers launched attacks in Afghanistan after 9/11 and against Iraq during the 2003 invasion. And in 1991, the installation was central to US attacks during the first Gulf War. The base was crucial to the logistics operations supporting Middle Eastern missions, keeping aircraft nearby and operational.
US Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Anthony Hetlage
The B-2 bomber holding the record for the longest bombing run in history landed at Diego Garcia after flying over 44 hours from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri in 2001.
In June 2025, prior to US attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities, or Operation Midnight Hammer, experts speculated that a significant B-2 bomber presence spotted at Diego Garcia could be involved in some sort of strike on Iran. Imagery at the time showed a notable force posture there. The actual strike, however, involved a B-2 bomber task force that flew out of the US.