Argentina on Tuesday asked the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) to block a British hydrocarbon exploration project off the coast of the disputed Falkland Islands.
Britain and Argentina fought a brief but bitter 10-week war in 1982 over the South Atlantic islands, known to Argentines as Las Malvinas.
President Javier Milei has doubled down on Argentina’s claim over the Falklands since US President Donald Trump said he was open to reviewing Washington’s stance on the territory.
Milei’s administration has notably targeted the Sea Lion oil project, led by Britain’s Rockhopper and Israel’s Navitas, arguing that it violates a UN resolution calling for both sides to desist from unilateral actions in the islands until their dispute is resolved.
The request submitted to ITLOS “seeks to preserve Argentina’s sovereign rights” and “prevent activities authorized unilaterally and illegally by the United Kingdom from exacerbating the dispute recognized by the United Nations,” a presidential statement read.
The court based in Hamburg, Germany, issues binding rulings.
Milei has also introduced a bill to impose stricter penalties for the exploitation of natural resources on the islands, which is still under debate in Congress.
And in mid-September, Argentine courts ordered the suspension of the project following a petition filed by two organizations alleging environmental damage in the area.
London does not recognize Argentine jurisdiction over the islands, which have been under British control since 1833.
The British government has said it stands behind the businesses operating near the Falklands, arguing it had the “right to develop their natural resources as they see fit.”
Island residents themselves voted overwhelmingly in 2013 to remain British.
But Argentina rejects that outcome, arguing that the principle of self-determination does not apply to a population it considers implanted by Britain after 1833.