U.S. support stalls Britain's Chagos Islands sovereignty deal

The fate of the Chagos Islands hinges on U.S. support for a sovereignty transfer from Britain to Mauritius, with the deal currently stalled after President Donald Trump renewed criticism of the agreement. U.K. Defense Secretary Wes Streeting said Wednesday that officials are reviewing the pact, stating they "can't go ahead without American support." The agreement would transfer sovereignty to Mauritius while leasing back Diego Garcia, home to a strategic U.S.-U.K. military base, for at least 99 years. The islands have been under British control since 1814, with up to 2,000 residents forcibly evicted in the 1960s and 1970s for the base. The U.N. and International Court of Justice have urged Britain to end its "colonial administration" of the archipelago.