𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

The Maldives has sent a missile-boat to British waters off the Chagos Islands, signalling its intent to state its claim to the territory Keir Starmer is planning to give away to Mauritius.

The fast-attack craft armed with missiles and two types of heavy cannon, was dispatched to Chagos on what the Maldives military describes as a “special surveillance operation”. The gunboat is accompanied by a squadron of Maldives National Defence Force Air Corps surveillance drones.

Several foreign vessels have already been intercepted by the ship.

Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu has formally rejected the UK’s agreement to transfer sovereignty of Chagos to Mauritius, together with the entire legal basis of Keir Starmer’s proposal.

He has called the deal “reckless” and an infringement on Maldivian territorial integrity and he has asserted that historical and archaeological evidence proves Chagos is an integral part of the Maldives, with no links to Mauritius.

Male, the capital of the Maldives, is about 310 miles from the Chagos Islands. Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius, lies about 1,300 miles from the Chagos Islands.

President Muizzu has also said if the Maldives is granted sovereignty over Chagos, it will allow the strategically crucial US Navy base at Diego Garcia to continue operations under the same terms as today. 

Keir Starmer’s UK–Mauritius treaty signed in May 2025 – has faced fierce criticism not only for ceding vital British territory but for leaving British taxpayers with a bill estimated at £35 billion, with some projections running as high as £80 billion.

As exclusively revealed by express.co.uk the Maldives’ legal challenge could derail the whole process, and the addition of gun-boat diplomacy raises the stakes even further.

President Mohamed Muizzu said: “The Maldives has historical connections to the Chagos Islands – known to us as Foalhavahi – which lie south of Maldivian waters. These connections are based on documented evidence, and we believe gives the Maldives a greater claim than any other country.”

The Maldives Ministry of Defence said the current “special operation” was intended to monitor and protect maritime zones that the government considers part of the Maldives’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Just days ago President Muizzu rejected a 2023 International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) ruling that basically awarded the Chagos Islands to Mauritius. 

A previous Maldives administration accepted the ruling, but after taking legal and political advice President Muizzu has overruled the earlier finding – which was only ever a non-binding advisory opinion.

Muizzu cited the Maldives Constitution and the Maritime Zones Act as the legal basis for his military operations, which he said were to protect its territorial integrity and maritime zones.

A spokesman for the Maldives Ministry of Defence cited Article 115(d) of the Constitution, which assigns the president responsibility for safeguarding national independence and territorial integrity. They also referenced Article 243, the Armed Forces Act, and the Maldives Maritime Zones Act as providing the legal basis for continued military monitoring and protection of maritime areas, including the EEZ.

However, officials stressed that the MNDF is conducting “surveillance” within what the government defines as Maldivian maritime zones rather than undertaking offensive military action.

Keir Starmer’s Government maintains that the Chagos issue is a bilateral matter between London and Mauritius, while the United Nations and the International Court of Justice have previously recognised Mauritius as the rightful sovereign. 

The Foreign Office has been contacted for a comment.