Javier Milei says "appropriate the oil reserves that lie beneath our sea" on Falklands drilling

Argentina announced sanctions Friday on 45 people and companies it suspects of unauthorized oil exploration near the Falkland Islands, which Buenos Aires calls Islas Malvinas. President Javier Milei’s office said the measures target shareholders and service providers, warning that anyone profiting from what Argentina deems a violation of its sovereignty will face the state’s full legal power. The move follows Milei’s warnings about the Sea Lion offshore project, run by Britain’s Rockhopper Exploration and Israel’s Navitas Petroleum. He argued that without action foreign firms would exploit undersea petroleum and entrench their position. Britain dismissed penalties as an internal political matter and reaffirmed its support for the islands, while the companies say they expect to keep drilling under British licenses. The dispute, which includes Argentina’s claim that Britain illegally occupied the territory in 1833, has intensified as drilling nears.