Argentine President Javier Milei has intensified Buenos Aires’ long-running claim to the Falkland Islands, declaring the British Overseas Territory to be Argentine and warning that his government will act against companies involved in a major offshore oil development.
In a nationally televised address, Milei opened with an unequivocal assertion of sovereignty over the islands, known in Argentina as Las Malvinas.
“The Falklands are Argentinian. Historically and legally. There can be no argument. They are part of the Argentine territory,” Milei said.
He accused Britain of ignoring United Nations calls for Argentina and the United Kingdom to refrain from unilateral measures involving the islands while their sovereignty dispute remains unresolved.
“For more than 50 years, the United Nations have been calling Argentina and the United Kingdom not to undertake unilateral actions on the territory of the islands until the dispute is resolved, including the use of its national resources,” he said.
“However, the United Kingdom has systematically failed to heed that call.”
Much of Milei’s warning centred on the Sea Lion oil project, located about 136 miles north of the Falklands. Israeli company Navitas Petroleum holds a 65 per cent interest in the development, while Britain’s Rockhopper Exploration owns the remaining 35 per cent.
The field is estimated to contain resources equivalent to roughly 900 million barrels of oil. Under existing arrangements, the Falkland Islands Government stands to receive a nine per cent royalty on revenues as well as corporation tax on profits.
With drilling expected to begin within months, Milei described the project as a direct challenge to Argentina’s territorial claim.
“If we do not act swiftly in a few months, they will have the material capacity to access the oil that lies underneath our sea,” he said. “Our national claim is facing a clear and present danger, and requires a proportional response. We will not allow it.”
Milei announced sanctions targeting companies involved in petroleum operations conducted under British administration around the islands and said he would accelerate a decree needed to implement the measures.
He also rejected the Falkland Islanders’ claim to self-determination, describing the islanders as living on territory that had been “usurped” from Argentina.
That position stands in stark contrast to the result of the Falklands’ 2013 sovereignty referendum. Of those voting, 1,513 supported retaining the islands’ status as a British Overseas Territory, while only three voted against, with turnout exceeding 90 per cent.
Milei also announced plans for a naval base in Tierra del Fuego and claimed the United States was “assessing their historical position in regard to the Falklands”.
“Our role and relevance as a country in the world has changed dramatically,” he said, before declaring: “The Falklands are our future – we need to recover these islands which are nationally relevant. There is no other path forward.”
The comments follow reported remarks by US President Donald Trump suggesting Washington was reviewing its position on the sovereignty dispute and raising questions over the extent of future American support for Britain.
Britain has administered the Falkland Islands since 1833, while Argentina maintains sovereignty over the archipelago. The dispute erupted into war in 1982 when Argentina’s military junta invaded the islands. British forces recaptured them following a 74-day conflict in which 649 Argentine military personnel were killed.
🇦🇷 Milei anuncia sanções a empresas que exploram petróleo nas Malvinas sem autorização da Argentina e diz que vai construir uma base militar na ilha.
A região é ocupada pela Inglaterra desde 1833 e foi alvo de um conflito entre os dois países em 1982. pic.twitter.com/cVolSubMoy
— Eixo Político (@eixopolitico) September 4, 2026
