U.S. Air Force 37th Bomb Squadron pilot boards a B-1B Lancer at Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia in November 2021 (U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Hannah Malone/ ID 211105-F-GF466-1040 ...

A US B-2 Spirit bomber, part of the 509th Bomb Wing at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, stops for refueling at the US military base on Diego Garcia in this file photo taken October 8, 2001 ...

Starmer said the deal to secure the U.K.-U.S. military base in Diego Garcia — to be leased for more than $100 million a year — is vital for Britain's defense, intelligence and national security.

Why are they contested? In the 1960s and 1970s Britain evicted as many as 2,000 people from the islands so the U.S. military could build the Diego Garcia base.

The UK on Thursday signed an agreement to hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius and lease back the Diego Garcia military base, critical to the UK and the US, for an average of 101 million pounds ...

The U.S. deployed B-52 bombers to Diego Garcia as a signal to Iran that America may commit to force if diplomacy fails. Their presence underscores deterrence despite halted Houthi bombing operations.

On May 22, 2025, the government of the United Kingdom signed the much-discussed treaty transferring sovereignty of the Chagos Archipelago to Mauritius, which included a lease agreement for the ...