The British government has refused to allow the United States to use the base on the island of Diego Garcia and RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire as part of a strike against Iran, The Times reported.
According to the report, the refusal has prompted US President Donald Trump to withdraw his support for a deal that is favored by British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the status of the Chagos Islands.
In a post to his Truth Social platform yesterday (Wednesday), Trump called the deal a "big mistake" by entering a 100-year lease deal with Mauritius for the islands.
“Prime Minister Starmer should not lose control, for any reason, of Diego Garcia, by entering a tenuous, at best, 100 Year lease," he stated. "Our relationship with the United Kingdom is a strong and powerful one, and it has been for many years, but Prime Minister Starmer is losing control of this important Island by claims of entities never known of before. In our opinion, they are fictitious in nature."
Trump cited the potential need to use the base in question in a military conflict with Iran. "Should Iran decide not to make a Deal, it may be necessary for the United States to use Diego Garcia, and the Airfield located in Fairford, in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous Regime - An attack that would potentially be made on the United Kingdom, as well as other friendly Countries. Prime Minister Starmer should not lose control, for any reason, of Diego Garcia, by entering a tenuous, at best, 100 Year Lease. This land should not be taken away from the U.K. and, if it is allowed to be, it will be a blight on our Great Ally. We will always be ready, willing, and able to fight for the U.K., but they have to remain strong in the face of Wokeism, and other problems put before them. DO NOT GIVE AWAY DIEGO GARCIA!"
The British government is reportedly concerned that allowing the US to use its bases to carry out a strike against Iran may violate international law.
Meanwhile, senior Israeli officials told Walla! that the US military is "locked and ready" for a wide-scale war against Iran. The officials stated that, contrary to previous assessments, the US administration is not waiting for the arrival of the Ford aircraft carrier in the region, since the forces already in the Middle East are sufficient to begin a very large-scale attack. This includes naval and air assets, some of which have not yet been publicly disclosed, and which can enable action against Iran.
Israeli officials believe that Iran is trying to buy time in its dealings with the US, while developing ballistic missiles that threaten not only Israel but also European countries.
In Jerusalem, officials are confident that the US is closer to launching an attack than reaching an agreement with Iran, and therefore the IDF is fully preparing to defend the home front. An accelerated process is underway to prepare for an attack, with many air defense systems deployed to the Middle East, and all US forces in the region are on high alert.
The officials also estimated that the coming days will be critical, warning, "If there is further delay, [US President Donald] Trump may back off from the idea of an attack," the officials warn.