Lammy sparks Trump backlash over Chagos Islands as China 'threatens critical US military posture'

The Trump administration has now been given full details of the UK's as-yet-unpublished agreement to hand control of the islands to Mauritius - which will allow his top team to pore over every line, with rumours of an American veto still in the balance.

A US readout of Lammy and Rubio's call said the pair discussed both "China's malign influence" and the need for a "free and open Indo-Pacific" - though neither statement on the call issued by the US or UK explicitly mentioned Chagos.

But now, multiple sources briefed on the call have confirmed to The Telegraph that it was indeed discussed.

Rubio was publicly critical of Sir Keir Starmer's handover announcement back in October.

At the time, he warned that Britain giving up the islands could allow "communist China" to spy on the US Navy.

And with Mauritius inching ever closer to China and Iran, his boss Donald Trump could still kill off the deal.

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Neither Trump nor Rubio have publicly commented on the surrender since taking office last Monday.

And the Foreign Office hopes Pentagon and state officials sympathetic to the Joe Biden-backed giveaway will be able to win over the new administration.

Rubio and Lammy's call on Monday night was described as running for a "healthy length" by one UK Government source - and also covered Ukraine, the Middle East and the "Aukus" defence pact, which remains critical to countering China.

And though the Prime Minister's official spokesman declined to confirm the Chagos surrender had been discussed on the call on Tuesday, he said "no" when asked whether it would heighten Chinese influence in the region.

The spokesman said: "We've always been clear that isn't the case. This deal secures the long-term base that is so crucial to regional security. It protects UK and UK national security interests but it also protects regional security."

But last October, Rubio warned the Chagos handover was "concerning, as it would provide an opportunity for communist China to gain valuable intelligence on our naval support facility in Mauritius."

He added: "This poses a serious threat to our national security interests in the Indian Ocean, and threatens critical US military posture in the region."