Buenos Aires, Argentina, September 4, 2026 — Argentine President Javier Milei has intensified his country’s long-running sovereignty dispute with Britain over the Falkland Islands, announcing tougher measures against oil companies operating near the British-controlled archipelago and portraying recent comments by US President Donald Trump as a potential shift in Washington’s position.
In a televised address on Thursday, Milei said Argentina would move against companies involved in the Sea Lion oil project, located about 220 kilometres north of the islands, which Argentina calls the Malvinas. British company Rockhopper Exploration and Israel’s Navitas Petroleum are preparing to begin drilling in the area, with oil production planned for 2028.
Milei described offshore oil exploration as a serious threat to Argentine interests and said his government would introduce legislation to strengthen sanctions against companies involved in the projects. The proposed measures could also extend to suppliers, shareholders and directors linked to the operations.
He also announced additional funding for a naval base in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina’s southernmost province, as well as improvements to telecommunications infrastructure intended to strengthen the country’s presence in the South Atlantic.
The Argentine president’s latest moves followed comments from Trump suggesting that the United States could reconsider its longstanding neutral position on the Falklands sovereignty dispute. Trump said earlier this week that he reviews every US policy position, while later declining to say whether Washington would support Britain in the event of another conflict over the islands.
