President Donald Trump highlighted the strategic importance of a small island in the Indian Ocean, suggesting it could be used to thwart a possible attack from Iran if the United States fails to reach a deal that averts a military conflict with the Islamic regime.

The president’s latest statement on Diego Garcia comes as the United Kingdom is trying to secure a 99-year lease with Mauritius. The deal would transfer the British territory to the East African nation for the next century, while the U.K. would retain its air base shared with the U.S. on the island.