Argentina’s President Javier Milei has warned that if Britain does not stop the Sea Lion oil drilling project near the Falkland Islands within two weeks, the country will pursue legal action in international courts.
The Sea Lion venture, a joint operation between Israeli company Navitas Petroleum and British company Rockhopper Exploration, reportedly holds licences issued by the United Kingdom. Argentina disputes that the licences are valid, calling the exploitation illegal and “plundering” Argentine resources.
Milei stressed that should the UK fail to halt the project by the deadline, his government would initiate arbitration through the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea – an independent body based in Hamburg that oversees the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The dispute echoes the land conflict that began in 1982 when Argentine forces invaded the Falkland Islands, triggering a 74‑day war that ended with British forces regaining control. The islands’ residents have overwhelmingly voted to remain a British overseas territory, with a 2013 referendum returning 99.8% in favour of continued British administration.
Milei called the United Nations “a useless organisation” and accused it of failing to resolve the sovereignty issue. The UK’s Defence Secretary, Wes Streeting, responded that Argentina lacks the military means to seize the islands by force.
The Sea Lion oilfield lies about 130 miles from the Falkland Islands and contains an estimated 1.7 billion barrels of oil; extraction could begin within the next two years.
