Iran war thrusts Diego Garcia into spotlight as official calls US military base ‘integral’
An official with the self-described Chagossian government-in-exile said Sunday that the war with Iran has underscored Diego Garcia’s strategic importance to U.S. forces and Middle East regional stability, with the Pentagon shifting logistics to the remote U.K.-U.S. base in the Indian Ocean after an Iranian strike on a major American installation in Bahrain.
The base, in the southern Chagos Archipelago, has reportedly supported carrier strike groups including the USS Abraham Lincoln, whose forces have conducted air operations and helped enforce the blockade of Iranian ports.
The U.S. military’s wartime logistics network now stretches across a roughly 2,200-mile maritime supply route to Diego Garcia, allowing forces to avoid coastal facilities vulnerable to Iranian attacks but requiring longer shuttle runs and slower replenishment, according to The New York Times.
"That is an inconvenience, but it shows the importance of the base," James Tumbridge, an international lawyer who serves as attorney general for the Chagossian government-in-exile, told Fox News Digital.
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"The base is integral to regional security for the U.K., U.S. and our allies. This latest news emphasizes it."
"Bahrain is a far easier target, so the U.S. change of supply arrangement makes sense," Tumbridge said, adding, "Hopefully the new British PM will not deny the U.S. this change of use."
"It shows the importance of the base and asking a third country for permission is not what the U.S. will want, and so I hope this means Trump will still oppose the handover," Tumbridge went on to say, referring to a proposed agreement that would transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.
In 2025, the U.K. and Mauritius signed a treaty that would recognize Mauritian sovereignty over the Chagos Archipelago while allowing the U.K. to retain control of Diego Garcia for an initial 99-year period.
The British government later put implementation of the agreement on hold amid renewed U.S. concerns over the sovereignty transfer.
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Reports emerged in June that U.S. officials had drafted a proposal to bypass Britain and strike a deal to take control of Diego Garcia, one of several alternatives to then-Prime Minister Keir Starmer's plan to transfer sovereignty to Mauritius.
The first minister of the self-described Chagossian government-in-exile responded that month and said the Chagos Islands were not for sale or "for stealing either," but argued that he "can’t blame" Trump for "looking to secure the military base."
"Trump cannot buy the islands. That suggestion made by some is unhelpful to us all. Only the U.K. can sell the islands, as only the U.K. owns them," Tumbridge also said on Sunday.
"The arguments over sovereignty do not get fixed via a sale, and Mauritius cannot sell them unless the U.K. first gives them away," he added.
"It is not in the U.K.’s interest to sell them. Whether we keep them and continue our support for the U.S. base or we cede them to Mauritius is the choice — my desire is the former."
Mauritius has long claimed sovereignty over the archipelago, a position backed by a 2019 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice and subsequent U.N. action.
The U.K. government, however, permitted the U.S. to use Diego Garcia for limited defensive operations targeting Iranian missile capabilities in March after initially withholding approval for offensive strikes.
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"The U.S. wanted to use Chagos Diego Garcia for air strikes at the very beginning. The U.K. consulted Mauritius and refused — hence Trump finally appreciating why sovereignty transfer was a problem," Tumbridge said.
"After the attacks on Cyprus, the U.K. allowed certain so-called defense uses, and Iran did fire at Diego Garcia, but they missed."
On March 20, Reuters reported that Iran had fired two ballistic missiles toward Diego Garcia.
One missile failed in flight, while a U.S. warship fired an interceptor at the other, though it was initially unclear whether the interception succeeded. British officials later said one missile fell short and the other was intercepted.
"No serious concerns have been shared — the earlier attempt showed a lack of range and targeting ability," Tumbridge said.
"The British Government and the Commissioner for the Territory have already tried to say the last attack makes the islands unsafe. No one seriously believes that Iran would try to target the outer islands that presently only have a population of six people."
The reported U.S. logistical strains and renewed focus on Diego Garcia came as the USS Abraham Lincoln approached nine months of continuous deployment in the region.
Speaking at Joint Base Andrews on Aug. 14, Trump said a new aircraft carrier was heading to the Middle East to replace it.
"That ship is moving," Trump said when reporters asked about the carrier.
Meanwhile, Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, also met with service members aboard the carrier, which is expected to be relieved amid concerns raised by families over the extended deployment.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the Pentagon for comment.