Downing Street has said the sovereignty of the Falkland Islands rests with the UK, following a report that the US could review its position on the British claim to the territory. The report, based on an internal Pentagon email first reported by Reuters, suggested measures the US might consider in retaliation against allies it believes have failed to support its campaign in Iran.
A No 10 spokesman stated: The Falkland Islands have overwhelmingly voted in favor of remaining a UK overseas territory, and we've always supported the islanders' right to self-determination and the fact that sovereignty rests with the UK.
BBC News has not reviewed the Pentagon email. The prime minister's office declared that the UK's stance on the Falklands is unequivocal, asserting that sovereignty rests with the UK and the islanders' right to self-determination is paramount. The spokesman emphasized that this position has been consistently expressed to successive US administrations.
In light of the email's contents, which proposed various responses including potentially suspending Spain from NATO, a NATO official clarified that membership suspension is not provided for in the alliance's founding treaty.
Earlier, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez responded by stating, We do not work based on emails. We work with official documents and official positions taken, in this case, by the government of the United States.
The Falkland Islands, located in the south-west Atlantic Ocean, remain a point of contention between the UK and Argentina, which claims the territory, referred to as the Malvinas. The islands were the site of a 10-week conflict in 1982 after Argentina invaded, prompting a British naval response that led to the surrender of Argentine forces. The dispute continues, with Argentina asserting its claim over the islands, which lie approximately 300 miles off its coast.
A No 10 spokesman stated: The Falkland Islands have overwhelmingly voted in favor of remaining a UK overseas territory, and we've always supported the islanders' right to self-determination and the fact that sovereignty rests with the UK.
BBC News has not reviewed the Pentagon email. The prime minister's office declared that the UK's stance on the Falklands is unequivocal, asserting that sovereignty rests with the UK and the islanders' right to self-determination is paramount. The spokesman emphasized that this position has been consistently expressed to successive US administrations.
In light of the email's contents, which proposed various responses including potentially suspending Spain from NATO, a NATO official clarified that membership suspension is not provided for in the alliance's founding treaty.
Earlier, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez responded by stating, We do not work based on emails. We work with official documents and official positions taken, in this case, by the government of the United States.
The Falkland Islands, located in the south-west Atlantic Ocean, remain a point of contention between the UK and Argentina, which claims the territory, referred to as the Malvinas. The islands were the site of a 10-week conflict in 1982 after Argentina invaded, prompting a British naval response that led to the surrender of Argentine forces. The dispute continues, with Argentina asserting its claim over the islands, which lie approximately 300 miles off its coast.
