Argentina accuses UK of 'illegally plundering' oil reserves and makes serious threat to Falkland Islands

Argentina's President Javier Milei has accused the UK of 'illegally plundering' oil reserves off the coast of the Falklands, proposing a fresh threat to Britain.

Milei has set a two-week deadline for drilling to stop on the Sea Lion project, an oilfield which is being developed by both British and Israeli companies.

If that deadline is not met, Argentina will ask the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea to order a temporary halt to the project.

“Argentina will not stand idly by,” Milei said, before accusing the UK of causing 'irreversible and irreparable' damage.

He added: “Any further advance on the Malvinas Islands will be considered a violation of our national security.”

While the tribunal can issue legally binding emergency orders, it has no way of enforcing the UK government to apply.

Javier Milei set a two-week deadline (Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The Falkland Islands have been British territory since 1833, though the UK and Argentina did go to war over the region in 1982 after the latter invaded it.

Around 655 Argentine, 255 British servicemen, and three people from the islands lost their lives because of the conflict.

There was a referendum on Falklands in 2013, which saw 99.8 percent of voters say they wanted to remain as a British Overseas Territory.

Nonetheless, President Milei renewed their claims the islands are Argentine territory, previously claiming that the country will take 'matters into our own hands' amid the ongoing dispute with Britain.

The Falkland Islands have been British territory since 1833 (Google Maps/UNILAD)

“Argentina is not going to sit around waiting for the UN and the international community to live up to their own mandate,” he said, as per The Guardian. “We’re going to take matters into our own hands.”

The UK's stance on the Falklands is pretty clear though, with Prime Minister Andy Burnham raising the ongoing dispute between the UK and Argentina during a recent meeting with Donald Trump.

“I didn’t react immediately when the Argentinian president made his recent comments, but in this forum, I think it’s right for me to set out the position clearly, and the clear position is: we will stand firm in the face of any threats," he said.

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham has made his feelings clear on the Falklands (Ian Forsyth/Getty Images)

“We will defend the right of the Falkland Islanders to self-determination and to remain British.

“And I just wanted the president to know directly from me, that’s the clear British position, and he very much understood what I was saying.”

Previously, the UK's Defence Secretary, Wes Streeting, wrote on X: “The Falklands are British because Falkland Islanders choose to be British. Our commitment to the Falklands is absolute and unshakeable.”

Meanwhile, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband called the UK's position on the Falkland Islands 'unwavering'.

He added on X: “The Islands are British and will remain so because that is the overwhelming position of the Islanders.

“Their right of self-determination is paramount, grounded in international law and we will resolutely uphold it.”