Donald Trump refuses to back Chagos 'surrender' unless Keir Starmer lets him attack Iran from UK-US base

The US has been locked in in talks with Iran to denuclearise for the third time - but has so far failed to reach a deal.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed the two sides had made "good progress", but there is no immediate evidence the two countries got any closer to a deal.

The US has repeatedly threatened to take military action unless an agreement is met, with the US military sending aircraft, troops, and two aircraft carriers - the USS Gerald R Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln - to the region.

Downing Street has long maintained the position that strikes against Iran would breach international law.

Whitehall sources have now said the White House is refusing to change its stance on the Chagos deal until the base is allowed to be used.

Labelled a "surrender" deal by critics, the handover will see Britain give control of the islands to Mauritius, with the US-UK joint base operating under a 99-year lease.

Last week, Mr Trump said Sir Keir should not "give away Diego Garcia", days after the US State Department said it supported the deal.

On Wednesday, a minister admitted the deal had been "paused" while the UK discusses it with the US, since it cannot go ahead without American consent.

The PM then went on to deny it had been paused.

While the US requires permission to use bases in Britain itself, the Pentagon has free rein on Diego Garcia as a joint facility governed by a 1966 exchange of diplomatic notes.

But the Foreign Office has a veto on American use of the base if it strays from "normal" operation, according to The Telegraph.

Strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in 2025 did not use the Diego Garcia base, but it is understood a second set of strikes would comprise a more sustained bombing campaign, with the US military seeking to deploy from both the Chagos Islands and the UK itself.

Mr Trump gave an update on the status of the negotiations during his State of the Union address, and laid out a legal and political case for action.

"We are in negotiations with them. They want to make a deal, but we haven’t heard those secret words: ‘We will never have a nuclear weapon’," the President said.

Mr Trump has changed opinion on the Chagos deal multiple times after intense lobbying from the UK and US intelligence community, right-wing politicians in the UK, and Republicans on Capitol Hill.

Shortly after taking office in his second term, he said he supported the deal and believed it would help the base.

However, he would change his mind on January 20 this year, calling it an "act of great stupidity" by the UK, before reversing course again and saying it was the "best deal" Sir Keir could have made in the circumstances.

After the US State Department said the Americans officially supported the deal, Mr Trump took to social media with a new statement.

He said "this land should not be taken away from the UK" - and giving it away to Mauritius would be "a blight on our great ally".

The Times reported Mr Trump's opinion flipped after the UK came out against strikes on Iran.

Additionally, the US has demanded written confirmation that if the deal goes through, the UK would not alert Mauritian officials about attacks launched from the base.

Britain has said there would be no "notification" requirement, but US Government lawyers are unconvinced by the claim.

Downing Street denied the deal had been delayed, but admitted discussions were continuing.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "There is no pause. We have never set a deadline. That is the position."

The Foreign Office declined to comment on whether permission for the US to use Diego Garcia had been sought or denied.