Argentina has asked the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea to stop oil exploration off the Falkland Islands. Britain has announced protections for the companies involved and has written to Interpol.
According to BBC News, which cited a statement from Buenos Aires, Argentina lodged a request with the tribunal aimed at blocking activity it says the UK authorised “illegally”.
The application, as quoted by the BBC, “seeks to preserve Argentina’s sovereign rights over its continental shelf and prevent activities authorised unilaterally and illegally by the United Kingdom”.
Foreign Affairs Minister Pablo Quirno said on X that the government was asking the tribunal for orders against the UK, the BBC reported. Those orders include halting new exploration permits.
The tribunal is an independent judicial body based in Hamburg, according to the BBC.
Britain’s Response
UK Foreign Office minister Uma Kumaran accused the Argentinian government of “economic coercion” against the people of the Falkland Islands, the BBC reported. She announced new protections for companies operating there.
“We will do whatever it takes to support them,” she told the House of Commons on Tuesday, according to the BBC.
Kumaran said the application “does not invalidate licenses issued by the Falkland Islands government, alter the islands’ regulatory authority, or require lawful hydrocarbon development activities to cease”, the BBC reported.
The UK is introducing measures under the Protection of Trading Interests Act, according to the BBC.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said, according to the BBC: “Argentina’s attempts to intimidate businesses and individuals engaged in legitimate commercial activity are unacceptable. Companies should be free to make lawful commercial decisions without the threat of political coercion.”
Britain has also written to Interpol’s headquarters in Lyon, The Guardian reported. The letter urges Interpol to treat Argentina’s “red notice” requests for the arrest of people involved in the project as politically motivated.
According to The Guardian, Andrea Clausen, chief executive of the Falklands government, said: “One would hope that Interpol wouldn’t necessarily take action.”
The Sea Lion Project
The project at the centre of the row is the Sea Lion oilfield. It is a joint venture between Israeli and British companies, the BBC reported, and those companies are Rockhopper Exploration and Navitas Petroleum.
According to the BBC, the field lies around 130 miles (209 km) from the islands and holds an estimated 1.7 billion barrels. It is expected to start pumping in 2028.
Argentina has begun criminal proceedings against Navitas and Rockhopper, The Guardian reported.
The Deadline That Led Here
On 28 September, President Javier Milei gave the UK two weeks to stop the project, according to The Guardian.
Late last month, Milei told the UN General Assembly that the UN had become “a useless organisation”, the BBC reported.
The two-week deadline passed on Monday, The Guardian reported.
The BBC reported the filing on Tuesday, the same day Kumaran spoke in the Commons.
A Dispute Older Than the Oil
Argentina’s application frames its case around what it calls its sovereign rights over its continental shelf. Britain’s ministers describe Argentina’s moves as “economic coercion” against the islanders and as attempts to intimidate businesses.
About 3,500 people live on the islands, according to the BBC.
UK officials believe Argentina’s leadership is picking a fight ahead of elections next year, the BBC reported.
More reporting from outside Australia is in Buzzline’s International section.
Sources: BBC News, “Argentina targets UK in legal claim over Falklands oil exploration”, 13 October 2026 (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmp3g14p3z2ko); The Guardian, “UK asks Interpol to reject Argentina’s ‘politically motivated’ requests for Falklands oil arrests”, 13 October 2026 (https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/oct/13/britain-interpol-reject-argentina-falkland-islands-arrests)
Ben Tubby, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Stanley Harbour from the hills above, March 2007, with the town strung along the far shore. Background only; the Sea Lion field is far offshore.
