Description: The UK and Mauritius are closer than ever to securing a historic deal regarding the Chagos Islands after the US approved the administrative change. The UK government has signaled the final approval from the Trump administration and noted that the issue would be put before both houses of Parliament for further discussion before the deal is finalized. The UK split the Indian Ocean archipelago from Mauritius in 1965, as the latter is a former British colony and ever since the administrative rule over the land has been disputed. The islands are strategically important for US interests as they host the naval base Diego Garcia which under the current circumstances of the agreement between the UK and Mauritius would be leased to the US in the next 99 years.
Impact: Amid growing tensions between the US and Iran, the conclusion of the deal between the UK and Mauritius indicates on further US strategic posturing against Iranian aggression in the region. Diego Garcia is a naval and bomber base of high importance and enables US naval and air force assets to gain significant tactical advantage and assert dominance in the region. The US would most probably enforce presence on the island with the recent indications of resolving the dispute between the UK and Mauritius as it aims to counter Iranian regional influence and subvert the country’s nuclear ambitions.