U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he had held "very productive discussions" with United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer concerning Diego Garcia, the island that hosts a major U.S. military installation in the Indian Ocean.
In a post on Truth Social, the president described the facility as "strategically situated" and "of great importance to the National Security of the United States." He acknowledged that, according to many, Starmer had negotiated "the best deal he could make," but he also issued an explicit caution about the continuing U.S. presence there.
Addressing the future of the lease, Trump wrote: "If the lease deal, sometime in the future, ever falls apart, or anyone threatens or endangers U.S. operations and forces at our Base, I retain the right to Militarily secure and reinforce the American presence in Diego Garcia."
The president framed the issue within a broader defence context, stressing the role U.S. military bases play in staging operations. He said that American military efforts over the past year were successful because of "the strength of our warfighters, modern capability of our equipment and, very importantly, the strategic location of our Military Bases."
Trump also pushed back against what he characterized as unfounded challenges to U.S. basing, saying he would "never allow our presence on a Base as important as this to ever be undermined or threatened by fake claims or environmental nonsense."
Diego Garcia is noted in the post as a key U.S. military installation in the Indian Ocean region. The president's comments followed his discussions with Starmer and signaled a readiness to act to maintain or restore U.S. operations there if necessary.
Clear summary
After talks with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, President Trump emphasized the strategic importance of Diego Garcia and warned that he retains the right to use military force to secure and reinforce the U.S. presence on the island if the lease arrangement breaks down or the base is threatened.
Contextual note - The post conveyed the administration's position that basing locations are central to recent U.S. military success and that the president would oppose efforts he deems to undermine the presence of U.S. forces at an important site.