Argentina’s President Javier Milei has threatened to take legal action against the UK unless the Sea Lion oilfield project is stopped.
Milei posted a statement on social media demanding that the joint venture between Britain’s Rockhopper Exploration and Israel’s Navitas Petroleum be dismantled within a two‑week deadline. He warned that, should the UK ignore the request, the Argentine Foreign Ministry would file a case in international arbitration over the “illegal plundering of our resources through the Sea Lion Project.”
Both companies say they hold licences valid under Falkland Islands law, which, according to the Argentine side, does not confer jurisdiction on the disputed waters. The issue sits at the heart of a broader sovereignty dispute that dates back to the 1982 Falklands War, after which the UK maintained control of the islands.
Milei also called for the case to be taken before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in Hamburg, “if the illicit exploitation of the region does not cease within two weeks.” The tribunal, an independent body, adjudicates disputes on the application of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The Argentine government has criticized the United Nations for failing to act on sovereignty issues. In his address to the UN General Assembly, Milei branded the organisation a “useless” body, accusing it of being “a collection of arrogant parasites dressed up as well‑intentioned bureaucrats.”
After Milei’s remarks, UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting dismissed Argentina’s threat, describing the country as lacking the means to seize the Falklands by force.
The Sea Lion oilfield, located roughly 130 miles (209 km) from the Falkland Islands, contains an estimated 1.7 billion barrels of oil. Oil companies argue the field falls within legal boundaries, while Argentine officials see the development as a violation of their sovereign rights and an affront to the Falkland Islanders’ wish to remain part of the UK.
