Link: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/donald-trump-iran-diego-garcia-raf-white-house-b2923837.html

Trump’s renewed criticism of the Chagos deal is reportedly because he is being blocked from using UK bases for a strike on Iran.

Donald Trump has withdrawn his backing for Sir Keir Starmer’s Chagos Islands deal because he has not received UK approval to use its military bases for a US strike on Iran, it has been reported.

The US president attacked the agreement to hand sovereignty of the islands to Mauritius and lease back the Diego Garcia joint UK-US military base as “a big mistake”.

His latest U-turn on his previous support for the deal is because of the UK Government’s refusal to give the White House the green light to use the Diego Garcia base or RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire for a potential military campaign against Iran, according to the Times.

"America first! We don't need anyone!"

TFW the Brits are like, nah, we don't want to help you overthrow the shah of Iran.

This whole thing can go haywire (including many civilian deaths), especially under Trump. It makes sense for UK to tell them to leave UK out of it. Besides, while going after Iran's regime is somewhat popular opinion - US doing it on the other hand suddenly makes it sound much more controversial.

I'm with you, on all counts. And I think not wanting to touch USA's shit is a legitimate take right about now. Shit, it was the wrong take to back in 2001/2003, and it was the wrong take back in *checks notes* most of US history, but right now for sure. We got our own problems now anyway, many of which were directly caused by the USA, so...

Trump:

Should Iran decide not to make a Deal, it may be necessary for the United States to use Diego Garcia, and the Airfield located in Fairford, in order to eradicate a potential attack by a highly unstable and dangerous Regime

Can someone please do that to us.

There’s no coalition this time. You’re on your own murca (well you’ve got your boyfriend Israel but they’re a bit tied up massacring children at the moment)

What could possibly go wrong? The short victorious "war" rallies citizens, especially those who the nationalistic (MAGA / NRA). It diverts from domestic issues like employment, the economy, ICE raids etc. It allows low scrutiny and speedy legislation changes. All at the low low cost of lives and future threats of retaliation.

Well good they won't need to, it's been done since a while

And remember how we treated the Afghani's who helped the coalition during that war? Yeah, there will be absolutely no local support this time round.

Unfair to Israel. They are also massacring women, the unarmed, the injured, the red cross etc etc. They are massacring or killing just about everybody. So please be fair to their efforts and not just limit them to children!!

Well, well. The worm turns.

Their snipers activelly target children in Gaza and they activelly supported their boy Epstein with his sex ring using children.

There's clearly a very special relationship between Israel and children.

Looks like they recently killed a 19 year old American citizen too, but he was brown so they will get away with it

Plot twist of the year: Starmer found a spine?

Ah yes, potential attack! It's like a repackaging of the WMD argument...
Not that I doubt Iran's crazed potential in the least, but currently the only potential attack comes from the US to cover up domestic sewage...
What will be the first target, "one way or another"-Greenland or Iran?

Trump insulted all EU military fairly recently so that's probably a double nah from the former allies...
But hey he has his board of peace now, with all the ...oppressive... countries in it, perhaps they'll send highly trained soldiers to die in Iran.
Somehow I think not.

Ah yes, Mr No-Wars warmongering again

How do you know about this? Did they forget to kill a journalist somewhere?

A petty note, but an important one… afghani is the currency not the people. They don’t like being called that.

Source: spent a year there with some friends

Maybe. Or maybe he's suffering pressure from the rest of Europe.

That's good to know, thanks!

Is there a demonym they (people who live in Afghanistan) tend to prefer...?

There’s no coalition this time.

The US is allied with a host of Middle Eastern dictatorships and monarchies

Death to Amerikkka

The Bored of Peace

Maybe the Diego Garcia thing will be enough of an excuse to not go to war with Iran on Israel's behalf?

So are we ready to admit that Israel has our government occupied yet?

I didn't know that!

I can't believe the EU commission took it seriously. https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2026/02/20/eu-ministers-to-grill-commissionss-suica-over-attendance-at-trumps-board-of-peace-launch

It's sanewashing what's clearly an insane initiative.

Second praiseable move of the UK in the recent days

There is nothing that would prevent our lawmakers from doing what Israel tells it to, blackmail of them fucking children and whatever else, it finally explains a lot, and Israel isn't really hiding it anymore, they are reveling in taking the mask off.

As soon as they start the forever war, Israel will find endless excuses to go back in, bomb this, assassinate that. Weapons programs, terrorists, whatever excuses they come up with. This will never end, and that's the idea, Israel's governmental leaders want to forestall elections and a reckoning as they've decided that the politicians that failed should stay in power to deal with the fall out from that failure despite not admitting fault and blaming others.

The rest of their governmet, appointed by their politicians, supremely corrupt and unilateral for 25 years when the semblance of a left collapsed, either believes those politicians or pretends to because they think they will benefit. They revel in their absolute military advantage, able to bomb any of their neighbors with near impunity, as they are unable to well respond if at all, and backed by the US that they've compromised so thoroughly they are almost openly showing off being the ones calling the shots ordering the US around. The UK is owned by Israel too, make no mistake, they just have to kowtow to their citizens more in their anti war sentiment more, for now.

Just cynical calculations, he doesn't have the support to declare war and it would be political suicide for him if he did. Israel owns him, he made his name in purging the party of people opposed to Israel's abuses, during Corbyn when they purged the party of him and all of his supporters mostly under bogus bigotry charges, accusing and removing more jewish people of anti jewish bias than others per capita.

Not just shooting Children, they often aim for the groin.

What is the other one?

Afghan is the demonym for nationals from Afghanistan

That makes perfect sense. Thanks! I think I was overthinking it hahaha.

there will be absolutely no local support

You sure? Iran itself was eager to work with the US when Obama lifted sanctions. It's just business. People know and don't take it personal. After Syria, people in Iran know that they won't get democracy. And yet they are doing some revolting.

Arresting Andrew

Didn't they let him go though?

I had to look it up because I’m not super familiar or exactly following it, but yes he was. However, he is still under investigation.

I’m just assuming the arrest is what the other thing the commenter was hinting at.

Released under investigation, they don't just arrest the king's brother on a whim, pretty sure they're pretty sure they can get a conviction.

Yeah. The US and UK abandoned those natives who supported them on the ground in Afghanistan, left them to fend fo themselves after the Taliban took control. Seeing that, why would and Iranians put themselves in the firing line to support the US?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025–2026_Iranian_protests

Must be that they hope that it turns out well for them,

Initially sparked by frustration over record-high inflation, food prices, and currency depreciation

or sanctions work.

There is a difference between a (somewhat) (maybe) spontaneous protest the the wider community is involved in, and treason. Supporting a foreign power in an invasion is going to get you and your entire extended friends and family group executed after a stay being tortured in a dungeon.

Addressing an estimated 250,000 people in Munich, Reza Pahlavi - who has called for the overthrow of Iran’s Islamic regime - denounced a crackdown on recent protests there

https://feddit.org/post/25854413

Some people want the Shah back.

The arrest of former prince Andrew

Yeah I know it was just a geopolitical history joke. :)

Quite right. The Trump administration are the ones who decided they don't need allies. Fine, then there is no obligation for America's old allies to help America.

Maybe there should be an official alliance between America's old allies: Europe, Canada, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, etc. A big free trade area with Americans excluded.