Argentina's government said on Tuesday it had filed a request for provisional measures with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea seeking to halt British-authorized hydrocarbon activity near the Falkland Islands.
The request aims to prevent the United Kingdom from exploiting hydrocarbon resources on the continental shelf of the Northern Falklands Basin, the government added in a statement.
The Argentine request follows an earlier approval on Tuesday by UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband for the Sea Lion field, a new Israeli-led oil-field development in the area, The Telegraph reported.
Israeli oil company Navitas Petroleum confirmed Miliband's approval, with the company leading the project, according to the report.
Argentina sanctions companies, individuals linked to Israeli-led project
In September, Argentina began sanctions proceedings against more than 60 companies and people linked to the offshore oil drilling project, a move UK officials have strongly pushed back on.
British Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Overseas Territories Uma Kumaran called the Argentine sanctions "unacceptable," saying that "the Falkland Islands are British and they have the right to develop their natural resources as they see fit."
Also in September, Argentina’s government announced that it will file a criminal complaint against Navitas for operating in the Falklands.