Why is Donald Trump obsessed with the Chagos Islands?

为什么唐纳德·特朗普对查戈斯群岛如此着迷?

The Global Story

2026-03-12

26 分钟
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At a recent White House event, President Trump assessed how America’s allies have responded to the US-Israel war in Iran. He praised some, but was angry with others, notably Britain and its prime minister Keir Starmer. His anger with the UK seemed to centre around a British-owned island in the Indian Ocean, which he referred to as “that stupid island”. The island is one of about 60, known as the Chagos Islands. Tropical, remote, and very mysterious. So mysterious that one person who knows what goes on there said that if you did too, it would give you vertigo. The BBC’s diplomatic correspondent James Landale joins us to discuss what happens on the Chagos Islands that makes them so important to President Trump. What have they got to do with Iran, and why are they at the centre of an ever-growing diplomatic row? Producer: Lucy Pawle Executive producer: James Shield Sound engineer: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins Photo: File photo of Diego Garcia, the largest island in the Chagos archipelago and site of a major United States military base in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Credit: Reuters
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  • At the White House recently,

  • President Trump gave an assessment of how America's allies have responded to the US-Israel war in Iran.

  • He had praised for some...

  • but vented his frustration with others, notably the UK and its prime minister, Keir Starmer.

  • This is not the age of Churchill.

  • I will say the UK has been very, very uncooperative.

  • His criticism seemed to center around an island.

  • With that stupid island that they have, that they gave away and took a 100-year lease.

  • So what is this island that Donald Trump keeps talking about?

  • And what's it got to do with Iran?

  • Well,