Donald Trump’s allies have urged him to block Sir Keir Starmer’s Chagos deal amid fears that Iran will have more access to spy on the US.
Top Republicans have called on Trump to send the deal to “the shredder for good” before his first phone call as President with Starmer.
This comes after Mauritius held discussions with Tehran on hosting Iranian universities, which security experts worry could be used to spy on the Diego Garcia military base.
Iran has been accused before of using exchange programmes to spy on Germany, Sweden and the US.
Top republicans have called on Trump to send the deal to “the shredder for good” before his first phone call as president with Starmer
Reuters/Getty
Louisiana senator John Kennedy raised concerns over Iran’s move to strengthen ties with Mauritius in a piece for The Telegraph, claiming that giving away the Chagos Islands endangeres UK and US security.
He wrote: “If Mauritius is growing its friendships with China and Iran, how can we expect it to keep our adversaries’ spies away from our base?
“It’s hard to believe that China and Iran aren’t trying to pull Mauritius into their axis and away from the West.”
Kennedy hit out at Starmer, claiming that “friends don’t strike deals behind each other’s backs,” more so when “our shared security is on the line”.
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Jim Risch, the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee also told the publication he still held concerns about the deal, but indicated that Trump would block it.
“Fortunately, I know that President Trump understands that China presents a tremendous threat to America and he knows that to protect our national security, now is the time to support a strong American and allied presence in the Indian and Pacific oceans,” he said.
Risch is one of the closest Republicans to Foreign Secretary David Lammy, and his intervention will come as a major blow to Downing Street as it shows Labour’s effort to get Republicans on board has failed.
It is understood that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Elon Musk and other top figures in Trump’s team are privately opposed to the deal.
Kennedy hit out at Starmer, claiming that 'friends don’t strike deals behind each other’s backs'
PA
Kennedy confirmed that Trump would always put America’s interests ahead of any fears of embarrassing No10.
“The UK is our ally, and Mauritius is our friend, but this is a matter of national security for the US,” he said.
“Anyone who expects the Trump administration to put the sensitivities of UN militants above the best interests of America and our allies is writing a check that can’t be cashed.”
He added that everyone would be safer if the Chagos agreement “found its way into the shredder for good”.
Under the proposed deal, the UK would hand over control of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, including Diego Garcia, which is home to a US military base, which the UK would then lease back for 100 years at a cost of £9billion.
Critics have continuously pointed to the security risks associated with the agreement, due to Mauritius’ close ties with China and Iran.
However, Labour has argued that surrendering the islands is the only way to follow international law and guarantee the security of Diego Garcia.
In 2021 the International Court of Justice issued an advisory rejecting UK sovereignty over the islands, saying they should be handed to Mauritius.
However, Labour has argued that surrendering the islands is the only way to follow international law and guarantee the security of Diego Garcia
GETTYSources have told The Telegraph that it is expected Trump will veto the deal as soon as next week.
One source said there was a feeling of “betrayal” among those close to Trump at Starmer’s attempt to rush the deal while Biden was still President.
It is also understood that former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who is close to Trump, has also been lobbying senior Republicans to oppose the deal.
Former head of MI6 Sir Richard Dearlove said Iran would use academic exchanges as a “cover” to send spies to the archipelago.
“It immediately raises alarm bells. I would have thought, as far as the White House is concerned, that it will persuade them not to sign the deal off. It’s appalling,” he said.
Iran’s ambassador for the region visited Mauritius on Friday to discuss collaboration between the two nations.
A statement issued by the Mauritian government said that Tehran had submitted a draft pact on a deal for the exchange of academics and that Dr Kaviraj Sharma Sukon, the Mauritian Education Minister, “rejoiced at this potential new avenue of collaboration”.
MI5 warned last year that foreign countries were using British universities for espionage operations.
