President Donald Trump is reportedly setting his sights on a new territorial acquisition, and this time it’s not Greenland. The administration is exploring a deal involving a strategically vital island chain in the Indian Ocean. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly raised the idea to Trump.
Donald Trump reportedly considering buying Chagos Islands
The White House is reportedly weighing a plan to purchase the Chagos Islands, The Independent reported on Sunday. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent directly raised the idea with President Donald Trump. The Chagos Islands comprise dozens of islands located in the Indian Ocean.
The territory hosts Diego Garcia, a joint U.S.-U.K. military base of major strategic importance. A U.S. official told The Independent that the Trump administration opposes the U.K. “giving away the British Indian Ocean Territory.” The official called Diego Garcia “a vital and indispensable military installation of significant importance.”
The U.K. has controlled the Chagos Islands since 1814. Trump previously called the U.K.’s planned cessation of the islands to Mauritius “an act of GREAT STUPIDITY.” The U.K. delayed legislation completing that transfer after the U.S. withdrew support in January. Multiple sources told The Telegraph that Bessent presented the purchase as one option for Trump. The plan was reportedly not the president’s “leading” option at the time, sources said.
Diego Garcia sits in a highly strategic location, enabling missions across Southeast Asia and the Middle East. The base supports U.S. efforts to counter Chinese military activity while also enabling strikes on Iran. Under the previous U.K. plan, Diego Garcia would have remained under joint U.S.-U.K. control.
Since returning to the White House, the president has increasingly focused his foreign policy on territorial acquisitions. His earlier push to acquire Greenland from Denmark ended after strong resistance from European and NATO leaders. He also threatened to annex Canada, Venezuela, Panama, and Cuba during his second term.
