Argentina’s Milei threatens arbitration over Falklands oil project

Argentina's President Javier Milei announced on Monday that he plans to sue the United Kingdom over an oil project near the Falkland Islands, known as Sea Lion. The Falkland Islands, also called Las Malvinas by Argentines, were the site of a brief and fierce 10-week war between Britain and Argentina in 1982, resulting in 255 British and 649 Argentine deaths.

Companies Israel's Navitas and Britain's Rockhopper are developing the Sea Lion oil field, which lies about 220km from the islands. Both companies have ignored Argentina's threats, maintaining that they hold valid exploration licenses granted by the UK.

I instructed our foreign ministry and legal teams to begin arbitration proceedings against the UK for the unlawful removal of our resources through the Sea Lion Project, Milei stated in a post on X. If the UK persists in the illegal exploitation within two weeks, we will take our case to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

Milei's administration has already challenged the project, claiming it contravenes a UN resolution urging both parties to refrain from unilateral actions in the islands until their dispute is resolved. Since US President Donald Trump indicated the US might reconsider its neutral stance on the Falklands, Buenos Aires has reaffirmed its claim to the territory.

The British government, for its part, maintains it supports the businesses operating near the Falklands, asserting they have the right to exploit the islands' natural resources as they deem appropriate.