President-elect Donald Trump will have many agenda items to address when he returns to the Oval Office on Monday. One he should get to quickly, for there is no time to lose, is the future status of the U.S. military base at the island of Diego Garcia. Poor decisions in the United Kingdom, driven by ideological obsessions rather than strategic thinking by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, mean an important military base is in jeopardy.

Part of the Chagos Archipelago in the British Indian Ocean Territory, Diego Garcia has long served as a key logistics hub and airport for the U.S. military. It has facilitated many military actions, including bomber missions against the Taliban and al Qaida in the opening stages of the war in Afghanistan. The island’s location, as shown in the Google Maps screenshot below, offers great strategic value to America both for defense and offense.