US President Donald Trump on 23 September publicly rejected Britain's proposed transfer of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, calling the arrangement 'terrible' and underlining the strategic military value of the Indian Ocean territory. The remarks came during a bilateral meeting with British Prime Minister Andy Burnham on the sidelines of the United Nations gathering in New York.

Trump's Remarks on Chagos

Asked directly whether he backed the proposed handover, Trump was unambiguous. 'I don't support it. I think it's terrible. It was a terrible deal,' he said. Trump also questioned the legitimacy of Mauritius's claim, saying: 'They all of a sudden say they have ownership, somebody has ownership that never showed up before after decades and centuries. I think it's ridiculous.'

Trump went further, tying the islands' value to recent US military operations. 'You know, we had to send our B-2 bombers when we bombed the Iran nuclear. We had to send the B-2 bombers back home to Missouri. As opposed to flying for a short period of time, they had to fly for a long period of time,' he said, arguing the archipelago is 'a very important piece of real estate' from a strategic standpoint. He added that he believed Prime Minister Burnham 'is going to be looking at it.'

Burnham's response to Trump's Chagos comments was brief — a single 'Yeah' — without specifying what, if any, action his government might take on the deal.

Iran, Ukraine and the Middle East

Beyond the Chagos dispute, the two leaders covered a wide range of geopolitical issues. Burnham offered British support for US efforts to end the conflict involving Iran and to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. 'We're still ready to play our part in the Middle East in terms of helping you stop the conflict, open the Strait,' Burnham said, adding, 'Obviously, we're with you that Iran must never be a nuclear power.'

Trump struck a cautiously optimistic note on Iran, saying a settlement was possible. 'I think that a settlement is going to be reached — they want to talk to us. They have been talking to us. Even today, they've been talking to us,' he said. The two also discussed the conflict in Ukraine, though neither leader detailed specific new commitments on that front.

Immigration and Trade

Immigration featured prominently in the talks, with Burnham acknowledging strong public concern in Britain over small-boat crossings in the English Channel. 'It's a difference when it's managed or when it's uncontrolled and the small boats is a very big issue for people,' he said, indicating his government was committed to a more controlled approach.

On trade, Trump said Washington had made concessions for longstanding British companies, pointing specifically to an arrangement involving Rolls-Royce. 'We talked about everything from Rolls Royce to energy to immigration,' Trump said. 'We covered a lot and we're with him.'

Tone of the Bilateral

Trump opened the meeting on a warm note, praising Burnham's election victory and describing Britain as 'a special country.' He also said US-UK relations were stronger under Burnham than under his predecessor. Burnham, in turn, described the relationship with Washington as important to Britain and said the two leaders had developed a good connection through their earlier discussions.

With the Chagos deal's future now clouded by explicit US opposition, the arrangement — which had been under negotiation for months — faces fresh uncertainty ahead of any formal ratification.