Argentina will take legal action against Britain if London does not suspend plans for oil drilling off the coast of the Falklands, the BBC reported, citing a post by Argentine President Javier Milei on X. "I instructed the Foreign Ministry and our legal teams to initiate international arbitration against the United Kingdom over the illegal plundering of our resources through the Sea Lion Project in the Northern Malvinas Basin," the Argentine president wrote on the social media platform. "If within two weeks the United Kingdom does not cease this illegal exploitation, we will appeal to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. THE MALVINAS ARE ARGENTINE and are defended with actions, not words," Milei added.
Focus on the Sea Lion field
The Sea Lion oilfield is managed by Navitas Petroleum Development and Production Ltd (NPDP), a British company wholly owned by Israel's Navitas Petroleum, in partnership with British firm Rockhopper Exploration. Earlier this year, the two companies reached the final investment decision for the development of the Sea Lion Northern Development. This means that all necessary approvals and financing for the full development of the energy project have been secured. First oil production is scheduled for March 2028, according to Navitas Petroleum. Oil production is expected to span more than 30 years, generating jobs in the Falklands as well as in the United Kingdom's supply chain throughout this period. The two companies see no reason to heed the Argentine president's warnings, maintaining that they hold valid licenses for offshore drilling in the region issued by the British government.
The dispute that never faded
Britain and Argentina fought a brief war in 1982 over the Falklands, which Argentina calls Las Malvinas, but tensions and the sovereignty dispute were never truly erased. Britain has controlled the islands since 1833, while Argentina has argued for decades that they constitute part of its national territory. Last week, during the UN General Assembly, President Milei escalated his rhetoric further, accusing the organization of becoming "useless" and serving "arrogant parasites disguised as well-meaning bureaucrats."
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