Chagossian leader in exile calls for island to be renamed after Donald Trump

In a late-night Truth Social post on Tuesday, Mr Trump waded into the long-negotiated surrender arrangement, branding it "an act of great stupidity" undertaken "for no reason whatsoever."

He warned that America's rivals had taken note of the decision, stating: "There is no doubt that China and Russia have noticed this act of total weakness."

As a result, Mr Mandarin expressed confidence Mr Trump would intervene on behalf of his people.

The Chagossian leader said he was "100 per cent" certain Washington would halt the handover to Mauritius.

To sweeten the deal, he suggested renaming an island after the US leader would serve as "a gesture of thank you, a gesture of honour".

He also felt it could potentially attract American tourists to the remote Indian Ocean territory, according to Newsweek.

It would not be the first time Mr Trump would be honoured by having an area named after him following a well-received action.

In 2019, the US leader officially recognised Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, which it had annexed from Syria in 1967.

As a result, a settlement in the region was named Ramat Trump, Hebrew for Trump Heights, in June of that year.

If and how Mr Trump will intervene in the Chagos deal remains to be seen following his volcanic intervention.

Downing Street maintained Washington continues to support the arrangement, which aims to establish a secure legal foundation for the strategically vital Diego Garcia base.

"The UK will never compromise on our national security. We acted because the base on Diego Garcia was under threat after court decisions undermined our position and would have prevented it from operating as intended in future,” a Government spokesman declared.

They added the agreement "secures the operations of the joint US-UK base on Diego Garcia for generations, with robust provisions for keeping its unique capabilities intact and our adversaries out".

Officials pointed to broad international endorsement, noting the deal had been "publicly welcomed by the US, Australia and all other Five Eyes allies, as well as key international partners including India, Japan and South Korea".

The treaty transferring sovereignty to Mauritius was signed last May, with the Labour government announcing in autumn 2024 the approximately $4.5 billion arrangement would see London lease back Diego Garcia for a minimum of 99 years.

At the time, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Washington "welcomed the historic agreement”.

He said: "Following a comprehensive interagency review, the Trump Administration determined that this agreement secures the long-term, stable, and effective operation of the joint U.S.-UK military facility at Diego Garcia."

However, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage sided with Mr Trump’s new stance on Tuesday, stating: "Thank goodness Trump has vetoed the surrender of the Chagos Islands."

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch concurred, describing the deal as "not just an act of stupidity, but of complete self-sabotage".

Last night, ministers decisively voted down amendments put forward to the Chagos deal by the House of Lords.

These changes would have included compelling ministers to outline the full costs of the handover.

A vote on allowing Chagossians a referendum on the handover had been ruled out by Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle because it would “impose a charge on public revenue”, which the Lords cannot do.

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