Argentine groups on Tuesday announced a lawsuit to halt a British-Israeli oil project off the coast of the disputed Falkland Islands. Argentina refers to the South Atlantic archipelago as Las Malvinas and unsuccessfully attempted to wrest it from British control in 1982. The lawsuit came one day after US President Donald Trump said he would not rule out reviewing Washington’s traditionally neutral position regarding the disputed territory. Argentina’s far-right President Javier Milei posted to X Tuesday that he will speak on the “SACRED issue for Argentines: the Malvinas cause” in a televised address Thursday night. “What cause more important and strategic for the vital interests of the Nation could there be than the Malvinas cause?” The so-called Sea Lion oil field involves Britain’s Rockhopper Exploration and Israel’s Navitas Petroleum, who seek to establish a large-scale oil operation about 220 kilometres (137 miles) from the Falklands, according to the war veterans and environmental lawyers who are suing to stop the project. The project violates a United Nations resolution stating that unilateral actions must be avoided while a territorial dispute is ongoing, plaintiffs said. Although the project is being carried out in a British-controlled area, they argue that a decision by local courts could affect its progress. The complaint seeks to ensure that the companies “refrain from starting and/or continuing the works... as well as from initiating the extraction and exploitation of hydrocarbons,” lawyer Enrique Viale told AFP. The Falklands question remains painful for many Argentines. During the World Cup semi-final against England in July, some Argentine footballers held up a banner saying “Las Malvinas are Argentine” after beating their foe 2-1. After the display, a spokesperson for the British prime minister’s Downing Street office responded “the World Cup might not be ours, but the Falkland Islands definitely are.” Argentine forces attempted to seize control of the Falklands in 1982, which resulted in Britain’s then-prime minister Margaret Thatcher sending a naval task force to reclaim them. The war left 649 Argentines, 255 Britons and three islanders dead. Asked on Monday whether the U.S. was reviewing its position on the Falklands, Trump told reporters “I always review every position. That’s just one of many.” Milei welcomed Trump’s comments about reviewing Washington’s traditional neutrality towards the dispute.
