The Argentinian government has begun legal action seeking to stop the exploration of oil and gas fields north of the Falkland Islands in an escalating row with the UK. The action filed with an international maritime tribunal is the latest development in the dispute.
Argentina claims the marine environment of disputed maritime areas is protected by international law. Earlier last month, President Milei also threatened to impose economic sanctions on firms exploiting oil close to the Falkland Islands.
The developments heighten tensions between the UK and Argentina over the sovereignty of the self-governing British territory, known in Argentina as Las Malvinas, more than 40 years after a British military task force ejected Argentinian forces which had invaded the territory.
The Falkland Islands government extended exploration licences last month and the field is expected to start pumping in 2028, potentially generating huge revenues for the roughly 3,500 inhabitants of the islands.