Argentina’s President Javier Milei has threatened tougher action against an offshore oil project near the Falkland Islands, after Donald Trump suggested that the United States might reconsider its long-standing position on the disputed territory.
In a televised address on Thursday, Mr Milei described the development as a threat to Argentina’s sovereignty and accused British and Israeli companies of seeking to exploit resources that Buenos Aires claims belong to Argentina.
He said his government would introduce measures against companies involved in the project, including sanctions that could extend to shareholders, directors and suppliers. Argentina also plans to increase funding for a naval base in Tierra del Fuego, in the country’s far south, to strengthen its presence in the South Atlantic.
The Sea Lion project, operated by Britain’s Rockhopper Exploration and Israel’s Navitas Petroleum, lies about 140 miles north of the islands. Drilling is expected to begin in the coming months, with production planned for 2028, according to the Associated Press.
Argentina refers to the territory as the Malvinas and has never accepted British sovereignty. The dispute led to war in 1982, after Argentine forces invaded on April 2; Britain retook the islands 74 days later, at a cost of 649 Argentine and 255 British military deaths, as well as the deaths of three islanders.
Trump’s comments revive Falklands tensions
Mr Milei’s announcement followed comments by Mr Trump that have raised questions about Washington’s neutrality. Asked earlier this week whether the US was reviewing its position on the Falklands, Mr Trump replied: “I always review every position. That’s just one of many.”
In an interview with GB News broadcast on Thursday, Mr Trump declined to say directly whether the US would come to Britain’s aid if Argentina attempted to seize the islands again. Instead, he criticised the UK’s decision not to provide greater support for the American-led military campaign against Iran.
“Your country was not there to help me,” Mr Trump said, referring to Britain’s position on the conflict.
The United States has historically recognised Britain’s effective administration of the Falklands while remaining neutral on the competing sovereignty claims. Any change in that position would represent a significant diplomatic setback for the UK and could further strain relations between Washington and London.
The British Government has said its position is unchanged: sovereignty rests with the UK and the islanders’ right to determine their own future is paramount. In a statement to the Organisation of American States in June, Lord Collins said 99.8 per cent of voters had backed remaining a British Overseas Territory in the 2013 referendum, on a turnout of 92 per cent.
He also said the UK supported the islanders’ right to develop natural resources for their own economic benefit, including through hydrocarbon production. The Falkland Islands Government is largely self-governing, while Britain remains responsible for foreign policy and defence and maintains a military presence there. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/e84d99c99cfb1cb1ad232be8e3ea6c8a))
Mr Milei said Argentina’s claim was a cause capable of uniting the country across political divisions. He told viewers that the United States’ willingness to reconsider its position showed that Argentina had become a strategically valuable ally.
“Without that,” he said, “none of this would be possible.”
