‘HUMILIATING DEFEAT’: UK Prime Minister Pulls Deal to Sacrifice Islands Housing Key US Military Base

Tyler O'Neil | April 10, 2026

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pulled the deal to transfer sovereignty of the Chagos Islands—home to the pivotal U.K.-U.S. military base Diego Garcia—from the United Kingdom to Mauritius,after President Donald Trump fiercely opposed the measure.

While the U.K. and Mauritius signed a preliminary deal in May 2025,it still required parliamentary approval, and the United States has substantial input in the decision, as well. Britain had exiled the inhabitants of the Chagos Islands—a small series of atolls in the Indian Ocean strategically located between Africa, Asia, and the Pacific Islands—when detaching the islands from Mauritius before Mauritius gained independence in 1968.

“The decision by Britain’s Labour government to drop the Chagos bill from the king’s speech is a massive and humiliating defeat for Keir Starmer,” Nile Gardiner, director of the Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom at The Heritage Foundation, told The Daily Signal after the news broke Friday.

“Keir Starmer had made the Chagos surrender deal his top foreign policy priority, and the fact that this deal is no longer going through Parliament is a huge blow to Starmer’s far-left agenda,”Gardiner added.

While the Labour Party had hailed the deal as an effort to decolonize the Indian Ocean islands,critics warned that the deal would undermine the Diego Garcia U.S. military base. The agreement would have given Britain a 99-year lease for Diego Garcia.Critics also characterize Mauritius as a close Chinese ally, so surrendering the islands could strengthen China’s influence in the region.

The U.S. used Diego Garcia to launch some of the attacks in Operation Epic Fury.

“As the president has repeatedly stated, Diego Garcia’s strategic locationmakes it of great importance to the national security of the United States,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told The Daily Signal in a statement Friday. “He will never allow the U.S. presence at Diego Garcia to be undermined or threatened for any reason. Recent developments have proven him right once again.”

“Diego Garcia, a strategically placed island base, has enabled U.S. power throughout the Indian Ocean region, directly supporting and engaging in strike missions today in Iran, and during the Global War on Terror in Afghanistan,” Brent Sadler, a 26-year Navy veteran and senior research fellow at Heritage, told The Daily Signal.

“Loss of this base or compromising its operational viabilitythrough Chinese (or other powers’) encroachmenton it would be a severe blow to U.S. and Western influence and power projection in the region not easily replaced.”

Gardiner credited Trump’s opposition for the bill’s defeat, sayingTrump was the “key reason” behind it.

“The United States has stopped the Chagos surrender deal from moving forward and this is great news for the American people,and also, frankly, for the British people, as well,”he said.

“TheHeritage Foundation has led the fight against the Chagos dealin Washington for the last 18 months,” Gardiner added,calling the deal “one of the most dangerous threats to U.S. national security in many decades.”

“As long as President Trump is in office, there’s zero chance of the Chagos deal moving forward,” he concluded.

Liu Pengyu, a representative of the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., disputed concerns that China might have supported the Chagos Islands deal in order to weaken the U.S.

“China adheres to the fundamental principles of international relations, including mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs,” Liu told The Daily Signal.

“China firmly supports the United Nations decolonization process and fully understands and supports Mauritius’s legitimate and reasonable claims on decolonization.”

“China has no self-interest in this matter,” he concluded.(China no one believes you!)

https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/04/10/humiliating-defeat-uk-prime-minister-pulls-deal-sacrifice-islands-housing-key-us-military-base/

(1)

Iran-US talks pause after two hours as delegations break - Reuters

5 hours ago

Talks between US officials JD Vance, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, and Iran’s Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi lasted about two hoursbefore breaking for a pause, Reuters reported citing a Pakistani source, adding Pakistan's army chief was also present.

(2)

US terminates green cards of 3 Iranians tied to Islamic Republic

6 hours ago

The United States revoked the permanent resident status of three Iranian nationals with ties to the Islamic Republic and placed them in immigration custody, the State Department said on Saturday.

In a statement, the department said Secretary of State Marco Rubio had terminated the green card status of Seyed Eissa Hashemi, Maryam Tahmasebi and their son, who are now in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement pending removal.

“Eissa Hashemi is the son of Masoumeh Ebtekar, also known as “Screaming Mary,” the infamous spokeswoman for the Islamist militants who stormed the US Embassy in Tehran in 1979 and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days,” read the statement.

The department said the three entered the United States in 2014 and were granted permanent residency in 2016 through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program.

It also said Rubio had recently revoked the legal status of relatives of former IRGC commander Ghasem Soleimani and of the daughter and son-in-law of former Iranian official Ali Larijani.

Rubio had earlier terminated the lawful permanent resident status of the niece and grandniece of former IRGC commander Qasem Soleimani, leading to their arrest by federal agents last week.

Hamideh Soleimani Afshar and her daughter are now in the custody of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to the State Department.

The department alleged that Soleimani Afshar had publicly supported Iran’s government and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps while living in the United States, including through social media posts praising attacks on US forces and promoting regime messaging.

The statement also said Rubio earlier terminated the legal status of Fatemeh Ardeshir-Larijani, daughter of Ali Larijani, along with her husband Seyed Kalantar Motamedi, both of whom are no longer in the United States and are barred from reentry.

(3)

Iran military official denies US vessel transit in Hormuz - state TV

6 hours ago

Iranian state TV denied reports that US vessels had crossed the Strait of Hormuz, citing a senior Iranian military official.

A US vessel turned back after receiving a warning, according to the official.

The denial followed earlier reports that US naval ships had transited the strategic waterway.

(4)

Trump says US starts clearing Strait of Hormuz

7 hours ago

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that the United States had begun clearing the Strait of Hormuz, describing the effort as a benefit to countries around the world including China, Japan, South Korea, France and Germany.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump also said 28 Iranian mine-laying boats were now “at the bottom of the sea.”

“The only thing they have going is the threat that aship may ‘bunk’ into one of their sea mineswhich, by the way, all 28 of their mine dropper boats are also lying at the bottom of the sea,” the US president wrote.

(Bunk or Bump?)

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202604117721

Arab World

Syria Says Busts Hezbollah-Linked Cell Planning Attack on ‘Religious Figure’

16:44-11 April 2026 AD 23

Syria's interior ministry said Saturday thatfive people had been arrested over a plot to attack an unidentified religious figure in Damascus, alleging the cell was linked to the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah.

In a statement, the ministry said =•security forces observed a woman as she attempted to "plant an explosive device in front of the house of a religious figure==" near a church in Damascus's Bab Touma area.

Security forces intervened anddismantled the device, arresting allfive membersof the cell, the statement said.

"Preliminary investigationsrevealed the cell's link to Lebanon's Hezbollah, and that its members receivedspecialized military trainingabroad," the statement added.

Since March 2, Hezbollah has been battling Israel after drawing Lebanon into the Middle East war with rocket fire at Israel in support of its backer Iran.

The group played a key role in Syria's civil war, fighting alongside the forces of now ousted leader Bashar al-Assad.

Under Assad, Syria was part of Iran's "axis of resistance" against Israel and enabled the transfer of weapons and money from Iran to Hezbollah.

Syria's new authorities have rejected Iranian influenceand are hostile to the Lebanese group and its sponsor.

In February, Syria said it had dismantled a cell responsible forrecent attacks targeting Damascus's Mazzeh district, saying the weapons came from Hezbollah, which denied any involvement.

https://english.aawsat.com/arab-world/5261243-syria-says-busts-hezbollah-linked-cell-planning-attack

(Seems like the Iran negotiations will be solved long before the Israel Mess is.)

39 minutes ago

Kuwait says 24 arrested over alleged Iran-linked terror financing plot

Kuwait’s Interior Ministry said itfoiled a plot linked to actors abroad, including Iran, aimed at undermining national security and financing terrorist groups, arresting 24 citizens, one of whom had his citizenship revoked.

Authorities also identified eight fugitives overseas, including another individual stripped of citizenship.

The ministry said the network collected funds under religious pretexts before diverting them to illegitimate entities, exploiting donors’ trust. Investigators found thesuspects used businesses as frontsand transferred money through coordinated methods to evade detection.

Why is terrorism so popular in the Mideast?

LIVE

updated 26 minutes ago

Iran-US talks drag on with no breakthrough in Islamabad

Summary

• The first round of Iran-US peace talks in Islamabad wrapped up on Saturday, with another round of negotiations likely to be held tonight or tomorrow, Iran’s state media reported. The talks have reached a stalemate over the control of Hormuz Strait, according to FT.

• A US official denied agreeing to unfreeze Iran’s assets, contradicting earlier Reuters reporting citing an Iranian source.

• Iran’s new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is engaged in decision-making on major issues including the war despite serious injuries, Reuters reported citing three people close to his inner circle.

(From that picture it looks like the Iranians are enjoying the interaction with Vance, Kushner, Lipnick and other Americans. I think they are being treated well!)

3 hours ago

Iran, US exchanging written messages - IRGC outlet

"Iran and the United States are exchanging written messages, and the exchange is ongoing," the IRGC-affiliated Fars News Agency reported, shortly after the end of the first round of talks in Islamabad.

3 hours ago

Trump says 'we'll know soon' if Iran is acting in good faith - NewsNation

US President Donald Trump said on Saturday he had “no idea” how successful talks with Iran would be and that he would “know soon” whether Tehran is acting in good faith.

Speaking to NewsNation in a phone interview, Trump added that the US knew where mines had been placed in the Strait of Hormuz and that the military was bringing equipment to remove them.

3 hours ago

Iran-US negotiators hold working dinner ahead of technical talks - FT

Negotiators are having a working dinner, FT reported citing an informed source, which will be followed by technical discussions on Saturday night.

U.S. Warships Have Entered the Strait of Hormuz

April 11, 2026 | Sundance |

As Vice President JD Vance and the U.S. negotiating team meet with interim, hopefully ‘governing’, Iranian officials in Pakistan, the U.S. Navy and military have entered the Strait of Hormuz.

Picture

First, the announcement from President Donald Trump:

• “The Fake News Media has lost total credibility, not that they had any to begin with. Because of their massive Trump Derangement Syndrome (Sometimes referred to as TDS!), they love saying that Iran is “winning” when, in fact, everyone knows that they are LOSING, and LOSING BIG!

• Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti Aircraft apparatus is nonexistent, Radar is dead, their Missile and Drone Factories have been largely obliterated along with the Missiles and Drones themselves and, most importantly, their longtime “Leaders” are no longer with us, praise be to Allah!

• The only thing they have going is the threat that a ship may “bunk” into one of their sea mines which, by the way, all 28 of their mine dropper boats are also lying at the bottom of the sea.We’re now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz as a favor to Countries all over the World, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, and many others. Incredibly, they don’t have the Courage or Will to do this work themselves.

• Very interestingly, however, empty Oil carrying ships from many Nations are all heading to the United States of America to LOAD UP with Oil. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” President DONALD J. TRUMP

Picture

A few hours later CENTCOM released this statement:

• TAMPA, Fla. — U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) forces began setting conditions for clearing mines in the Strait of Hormuz, April 11, as two U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers conducted operations.

USS Frank E. Peterson (DDG 121) and USS Michael Murphy (DDG 112) transited the Strait of Hormuz and operated in the Arabian Gulf as part of a broader mission to ensure the strait is fully clear of sea mines previously laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

“Today, we began the process of establishing a new passage and we will share this safe pathway with the maritime industry soon to encourage the free flow of commerce,” said Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM.

The Strait of Hormuz is an international sea passage and an essential trade corridor that supports regional and global economic prosperity. Additional U.S. forces, including underwater drones, will join the clearance effort in the coming days. {SOURCE}

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2026/04/11/u-s-warships-have-entered-the-strait-of-hormuz/

Understanding the Fox News Podcasters 1/2

April 11, 2026 | Sundance |

Against the backdrop of President Trump calling attention tothe narcissism podcast universe, several people have made inquiry about relationships, motives, financial structures etc.

For those unaware, the traditional media framework of billionaire and corporate opinion/information shaping,modified itself for a new digital era. However, the motives that underpinned the original control mechanisms remain the same, only the venues are different.

RED SEAT VENTURES HERE

As an example, mostreasonably intelligent peoplecaught on to the manipulative political content pushed by Rupert Murdoch, his family of control agents and the Fox Corporation media empire.However, most people are unaware that Fox Corporation controls the information spaceof well-known current and former Fox News employees and contract agentsthat shifted to the podcast venues.

Fox Mediapurchased Red Seat Ventures{Citation} and expanded the narrative control operations through “podcasting.”As a consequence, Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, Piers Morgan, Bill O’Reilly and many morestill work for Fox Corporation, just in different venues.

When Tucker Carlson is interviewing Megyn Kelly during a podcast, or when Piers Morgan is interviewing Bill O’Reilly during a podcast,it is no different than Megyn Kelly interviewing Piers Morgan on Fox News television. The platform changed, but the relationships -and more importantly theinformation content itself- is the same.

The samecontrol mechanisms apply; it is just a different distribution channel.

Instead of watching Fox News,you are essentially watching Fox News ‘podcasting’ division, via Red Seat Ventures.

♦ Red Seat Ventures (a Fox Corporation subsidiary)controls the advertising, distribution and financial payments to the same cast of characters that appeared on Fox News broadcast. The same leverage and pressure points apply, albeitwith a plausible deniability. in order topush a false claim of independencein orderto manufacture the optics of credibility.

You can explore Red Seat Ventures here, overlay the intention as expressed by Fox Corporation here,and see exactly how this internecine system is connected.

When you hear people say, “I no longer watch Fox News,” yet they still watch Megyn Kelly, Tucker Carlson, Piers Morgan, Dana Loesch, Bill O’Reilly, Greg Gutfeld, Jesse Kelly, etc., you might take note those people probably don’t realize they are just watching a different version of the Fox Corporation.

This is why none of the former pundits, now part of Red Seat, will say anything critical of Fox Corp. They are still beholden to the control masters. Many people are unaware of this reality in the background.

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2026/04/11/understanding-the-fox-news-podcasters/

>>24489792

2/2

♦There is also the Red Apple Podcast Network, another corporate conglomerate of well-known pundits like Larry Kudlow, Roger Stone, Greg Kelly, Sean Spicer and many more. Again, these arenot ‘independent’ per se’, they are part of a corporate commercial system with terms and conditions that apply to the employees, the podcasters.

♦Then you have Westwood One, (aka Cumulus)another corporate media conglomerate which includes popular names like Benny Johnson, Mark Levin and Dan Bongino. Again, these are not independent voices per se’ –they are contract agents with financial relationships to the mothership, the corporation. Again, terms and conditions apply.

What you will notice in all of these enmeshments is a system of podcast tribalism, now captured within the corporate dynamic. When a podcaster is interviewing a podcaster for podcast content,you are essentially watching a circle of narcissists discussing each other. The watcher or listeneris not receiving ‘information’, they are participatingin the distribution of specific financially aligned narratives– albeit with an ‘independent’ flare.

If your participation in the podcast sphere isakin to watching WWE wrestling, then you have the appropriate filter for the performances within each broadcast.

However, ifyou participate from the perspective of information gathering; raw, researchable or cited information to expandobjective knowledge; you mightend up in a crazy matrixwhere you are led to believe that aliens are living down the street, black helicopters are following your every move, Melania is about to divorce Donald, the FBI is an honorable institution, or even that Reverend Franklin Graham is busy building a billionaire doomsday bunker in Alaska.

As the years were unfolding you likely recognized the Wall Street corporate media system was going to respond to the changed and collapsed credibility environment.Well, podcasting is the 2026 iteration.

Artificial Intelligence is going to replace all of these ‘voices’ eventually, as government systems learn and adapt to the private sector information space.

Just something to keep in mind.

(https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2026/04/11/understanding-the-fox-news-podcasters/

Welcome to 1984! Programmingfor money and control of your thoughts, andfor your protection of course!. Europe is doing this blatantly and punishing those who don’t go along, the U.S. is doing it through the idea we getting news, to be aware of the danger. Hell China just does it, and tells their citizens they are slaves and prisoners and owned by the government.)

>>24489764. What invaded their brains, or were they always like this. Tucker was always a milk toast Christian, now he’s believing Radical Christian Fundamentalist. Their belief is they will all be taken to heaven regardless of what they’ve done in life.

>>24489757. You missed the corrupt leaders in Democrat party are kicking him out, but that might backfire because he knows what orders they gave.

>>24489746. So you are Iranian anon

>>24489741. His corporations did, so he’s telling the truth. Being bankrupt means having no assets and no money, he’s always had money

>>24489848. You might want to ignore them otherwise you might be making karma and a connection to them.

>>24489845. That’s sad

>>24489839. Thank you, I still won’t remember to spell it right, but I’ll try

>>24489740. Tucker’s problem is Bibi and his belief Trump is controlled by them. Maybe we got here because they lied to him, but I doubt that is happening now. Tucker vowed many times he loves Trump. But Tucker ditched that when Trump didn’t listen to him. That’s his ego thinking he knows more than Trump. We’ll see how this works out, but choosing the other side is not exactly truthful. Is Tucker being blackmailed himself? His arrogance may be his downfall

>>24489616. And he lies constantly

(1). 8 minutes ago

Iran-US negotiations to resume Sunday in Islamabad - report

At Pakistan’s suggestion and with agreement from both sides, Iran and the US will hold another round of negotiations on Sunday. latest trilateral talks concluded with both parties exchanging drafts through their expert teams.

(2)

14 minutes ago

US did not reach understanding in latest round of talks - Fars News

Iran’s IRGC affiliated Fars news agency, citing its reporter, said Tehran and Washington did not reach an understanding over their differences in the latest round of negotiations.

(3)

18 minutes ago

US–Iran talks to continue on Sunday - Iran state TV

US and Iranian negotiations in Islamabad will continue on Sunday, according to an Iran state TV reporter.

(4)

35 minutes ago

US demands 400kg uranium exit, zero enrichment and Hormuz control

Pro-government influencer Ali Gholhaki said on Saturday the US is demanding the exit of 400 kg of uranium from Iran — "the same stockpile it failed to seize in a previous military operation" — along with 0% enrichment and full management of the Strait of Hormuz.

"A test today on the strait met a firm Iranian rejection. No US commitments on Lebanon, indicating Washington did not come for genuine negotiations," he posted on X.‌

— Ali Gholhaki (@aghplt) April 11, 2026

(5)

40 minutes ago

Iran says talks will continue despite ‘remaining differences’

Iran’s government said negotiations will continue despite “some remaining differences,” according to a statement posted on X.

(6)

45 minutes ago

Iran-US talks conclude after 14 hours in Islamabad

Another round of negotiations between Iran and the United States in Islamabad has ended after 14 hours.

The two sides are now exchanging text messages with teams of experts present, Iran’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia Ali Reza Enayati posted on X.

(7)

48 minutes ago

Serious disagreements remain between Iran and US delegations - report

Some “serious disagreements” between Iranian and US delegations in ongoing negotiations still remain, Iran’s IRGC affiliated Tasnim news agency reported on Saturday, citing its reporter.

(9)

1 hour ago

US-Iran talks continue late into night in Islamabad

US and Iranian delegations remain in talks at Serena Hotel past 1:57 AM after nearly 10 hours, with some breaks and dinner.

A framework for regional security, humanitarian reconstruction and frozen funds has been set, journalist Gabriella Colarusso said on X. "The hardest issue remains the Strait of Hormuz, where other regional and global actors could play a decisive role," she added.

2/ a framework for regional security, humanitarian reconstruction (on all fronts), frozen funds, has been set. The hard part is Hormuz. Here is where other regional and global actors’ role could prove decisive

— Gabriella Colarusso (@gabriella_roux) April 11, 2026

Continued…