Argentinian President Javier Milei has issued a warning to the British government, demanding that it cease operations on an oil project off the disputed Falkland Islands within two weeks or face legal action. Milei stated on Monday that Argentina will seek intervention from the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Hamburg, Germany, to halt the Sea Lion oil project, claiming it constitutes 'the illegal plundering of our resources.' He emphasized that Argentina will not remain passive in the face of what he described as 'irreversible and irreparable' damage caused by the UK.
The companies involved in the project, Israel's Navitas and Britain's Rockhopper, have dismissed Argentina's threats, asserting that they possess valid exploration licenses granted by the UK. The tribunal can issue legally binding emergency orders, but it lacks enforcement mechanisms to compel compliance.
The UK government rejects Argentina's sovereignty claims, maintaining that the residents of the Falkland Islands have the right to determine their own future and manage their natural resources. In a 2013 referendum, Falkland Islanders voted overwhelmingly to remain a British overseas territory, while Argentina contends that the islands were populated illegally.
Milei's administration has previously initiated legal proceedings against the project authorized by Britain, arguing it contravenes a United Nations resolution that calls for both parties to refrain from unilateral actions regarding the islands until the dispute is resolved.
The Argentine government has intensified its claims over the Falklands following comments from former US President Donald Trump, who indicated that Washington might reconsider its historically neutral position on the territory. The British government has expressed its support for the businesses operating near the Falklands.
The ongoing dispute over the Falkland Islands led to a conflict between Britain and Argentina in 1982, resulting in the deaths of 649 Argentine soldiers, 255 British soldiers, and three islanders after Argentina's invasion of the archipelago.