UK Says Falklands 'Are British' as Milei Presses Argentina's Claim
Britain says its Falklands commitment is "absolute and unshakeable" after Javier Milei escalated Argentina's claim and targeted a British-Israeli oil project near the islands.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - Britain reaffirmed Friday that its commitment to the Falkland Islands is "absolute and unshakeable" after Argentine President Javier Milei intensified Buenos Aires' sovereignty claim, citing what he called favorable "winds of change" following remarks by U.S. President Donald Trump and announcing measures against a disputed offshore oil project.
"The Falklands are British because Falkland Islanders choose to be British," British Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said in a social media post, according to Agence France-Presse reporter Philippe Bernes-Lasserre.
Streeting said Milei's intervention was driven by domestic politics and added: "Our commitment to the Falklands is absolute and unshakeable."
The exchange marks a renewed escalation in one of Latin America's longest-running territorial disputes, more than four decades after Britain and Argentina fought a 10-week war over the South Atlantic archipelago, known in Argentina as Las Malvinas.
Milei said in a nationally televised address Thursday that Argentina would not "stand idly by" as British company Rockhopper Exploration and Israel's Navitas Petroleum advance the Sea Lion oil project near the islands.
"There are winds of change in the world that are favorable to our claim," Milei said, referring to Trump's recent comments suggesting Washington could review its longstanding position on the sovereignty dispute.
Trump comments raise diplomatic stakes
For decades, the United States has generally remained neutral on the competing sovereignty claims while recognizing Britain's administration of the islands.
Trump unsettled that balance Monday when, asked whether Washington was reviewing its Falklands stance, he replied: "I always review every position. That's just one of many."
In an interview aired Thursday by British broadcaster GB News, Trump also declined to say whether the United States would support Britain in another confrontation with Argentina.
He instead criticized London for what he regarded as insufficient support for the U.S.-led war against Iran.
Associated Press reporter Isabel Debre noted that Washington has previously floated the Falklands issue as potential leverage against NATO allies that declined to support the Iran campaign.
British officials have responded by emphasizing that sovereignty rests with the United Kingdom and that the wishes of the islanders are paramount.
In a 2013 referendum, residents voted overwhelmingly to remain a British overseas territory.
Argentine President Javier Milei said on September 3, 2026, that the "winds of change" favoured Argentina's claim to the Falkland Islands, pointing to Washington's readiness to review it neutrality on his country's dispute with Britain. Britain and Argentina fought a war over the islands in 1982. (AFP)
Oil project sharpens dispute
The Sea Lion oil development has significantly raised the economic stakes.
According to AP, the project lies about 220 kilometers north of the Falklands and is being developed by Rockhopper and Navitas, with drilling preparations under way and production planned for 2028.
Argentina considers exploration there an illegal exploitation of resources in waters it claims as its own.
Milei announced plans to accelerate sanctions against companies involved in the development and extend penalties to suppliers, shareholders and company directors.
He also said firms participating in Falklands-related projects without Argentine authorization could be barred from operating or signing contracts in Argentina.
"If we allow it, we will be creating an incentive for the British government to deepen the occupation of the islands and the exploitation of our resources," Milei said.
Argentina also argues that the project breaches a United Nations resolution calling on both parties to avoid unilateral steps while the sovereignty dispute remains unresolved.
The project developers and Britain operate on the basis that the islands and their surrounding resources fall under Falkland Islands administration.
Argentine President Javier Milei said on September 3, 2026, that the "winds of change" favoured Argentina's claim to the Falkland Islands, pointing to Washington's readiness to review it neutrality on his country's dispute with Britain. Britain and Argentina fought a war over the islands in 1982. (AFP)
Lawsuit seeks to halt drilling
The political dispute follows legal action filed Tuesday by Argentine Falklands War veterans and environmental lawyers seeking to stop the Sea Lion development.
AFP reported earlier this week that the plaintiffs want companies involved to halt work and refrain from beginning hydrocarbon extraction.
Lawyer Enrique Viale told AFP that the complaint seeks to stop both continued development and future exploitation.
Whether Argentine courts can practically halt activity in British-controlled waters remains uncertain.
Milei boosts military presence
Milei also announced additional funding for a naval base in Tierra del Fuego and upgrades to telecommunications infrastructure in Argentina's far south.
The measures are intended to strengthen Argentina's physical and military presence in the South Atlantic.
"A poor country without armed forces can hardly make effective progress on its sovereignty claims," Milei said, according to AP.
The harder line represents a notable shift for a president previously criticized by opponents for seeking closer relations with Britain and openly admiring former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
Thatcher ordered the military campaign that retook the islands after Argentine forces invaded in April 1982.
The war killed 649 Argentine service members, 255 British personnel and three islanders.
Argentine President Javier Milei said on September 3, 2026, that the "winds of change" favoured Argentina's claim to the Falkland Islands, pointing to Washington's readiness to review it neutrality on his country's dispute with Britain. Britain and Argentina fought a war over the islands in 1982. (AFP)
Domestic politics also in focus
The Falklands issue remains one of the rare causes commanding support across Argentina's deeply polarized political system.
Milei's renewed focus comes as his approval ratings have fallen and he prepares for a reelection campaign next year.
AFP reported that recent polling puts support for his austerity and deregulation policies at around 34%.
Opposition figures have accused Milei of using the sovereignty dispute to rebuild political support while aligning Argentina more closely with Trump.
Milei rejects that interpretation, presenting his relationship with Washington as an asset.
"The United States is considering this change of position because it knows that Argentina has a reliable partner," he said.
For Britain, however, the position remains unchanged: the islanders' preference to remain British is decisive.
The immediate dispute now involves three overlapping pressures, Argentina's historic sovereignty claim, the growing commercial value of offshore oil, and uncertainty over whether Trump is prepared to alter Washington's traditional neutrality.