Milei sets two-week deadline in Falklands oil dispute
Argentina’s president says he has instructed officials to pursue arbitration over the Sea Lion project, with a possible case before an international tribunal if the UK does not halt it.
Argentine President Javier Milei has threatened legal action against the United Kingdom over the Sea Lion oil project near the Falkland Islands, which Argentina claims and the UK administers.
Milei said he had instructed Argentina’s Foreign Ministry and legal teams to begin arbitration proceedings. He said Argentina would take the matter to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea if the UK did not stop the project within two weeks.
The announcement is an intention to pursue proceedings; the report does not establish that arbitration has formally begun. Milei described the project as unlawful, while developers Navitas and Rockhopper say they hold valid exploration licences issued by the UK.
Argentina argues the project breaches a UN resolution calling on both sides to avoid unilateral action while the sovereignty dispute remains unresolved. The UK has said it supports businesses operating near the islands and their right to develop natural resources.
The islands were the focus of a 10-week war between Argentina and the UK in 1982. The UK’s response to Milei’s latest threat was not reported.
