The government of Javier Milei announced yesterday, Monday, September 7, that it would file a criminal complaint against the Israeli oil company Navitas, several of its subsidiaries and senior executives, due to its involvement in an offshore oil project off the Falkland Islands, a British territory whose sovereignty is claimed by Buenos Aires.
- Last Thursday, Milei had threatened during a televised address to sanction companies involved in the Sea Lion project.
- He had notably stated that “any advance on the Falkland Islands will be considered a threat to national security,” and announced new funding for the construction of a military base in Tierra del Fuego.
British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting had asserted on social media “the absolute and unwavering commitment” of London to the archipelago, whose population had voted 99.8% in 2013 to preserve its status as an overseas territory of the United Kingdom.
- The development work to support the Sea Lion project began several months ago on the Falkland Islands.
- The drilling of wells is expected to commence next year, with production anticipated to begin in 2028 and to reach full capacity by 2032.
The prosecutions launched by Buenos Aires follow remarks from Donald Trump, who said at the end of August that the United States’ position on the Falklands was under review. Washington wants in particular to use the dossier to pressure the United Kingdom, accused of not spending enough on its defense and of not sufficiently backing America’s war against Iran.
The nationalist turn on the Falklands by Milei is tied to his domestic policy.
- The president’s popularity has been sliding for a year: his approval rating fell from 44% in July 2025 to 37% this summer, according to AtlasIntel’s Latam Pulse poll.
- Milei is currently neck-and-neck in the polls for the next presidential election, scheduled for October 2027, with the Peronist candidate Axel Kicillof.
- The latter delivered Milei his first electoral setback in September 2025 during the Buenos Aires province elections, the country’s largest region.
The claim to sovereignty over the Falklands is highly popular in Argentina.
- References to the Falklands appear on banners carried by supporters of the national soccer team and in the supporters’ chants.
- During the World Cup, in July, the Argentine team celebrated its victory over England by waving a banner reading: “The Falklands are Argentine.”
Milei had deprioritized the archipelago issue after taking office in late 2023, notably in favor of his relations with Washington. The deterioration of ties between the United Kingdom and the United States since Trump’s return to power seems to create a window of opportunity, which will depend on the real support (or lack thereof) provided by the White House.