# Argentina sues UK over Malvinas oil drilling

> Argentina files lawsuit to stop UK oil drilling in disputed Falklands.
- Title: Argentina sues UK over Malvinas oil drilling | Shortify
- Summary: Argentina files lawsuit to stop UK oil drilling in disputed Falklands. Argentina has sued the UK at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea to halt…
- Keywords: argentina, united kingdom, malvinas, falkland islands, oil drilling, international tribunal for the law of th, javier milei, sea lion project, news, sues, oil, drilling
- Source: Argentina Reports — https://argentinareports.com/argentina-sues-uk-over-malvinas-falkland-islands-oil-exploitation/4353
- Author: Cecilia Degl’Innocenti
- Published: 2026-10-16T20:31:26+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: argentina, united kingdom, malvinas, falkland islands, oil drilling, international tribunal for the law of th, javier milei, sea lion project, news
## Argentina sues UK
Argentina has filed a lawsuit against the United Kingdom at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea to try to halt a planned oil drilling project in the Malvinas/Falkland Islands scheduled for January…
## Legal action authorized
On October 13, President Javier Milei formally authorized the complaint over the offshore Sea Lion project after the ultimatum it had given London expired.
## Background on dispute
The Malvinas/Falkland Islands have been claimed by both Argentina and the UK since 1833, with the UK expelling Argentine authorities in that year.
## Legal arguments
Argentina clarified it is not asking the court to decide who owns the continental shelf but to preserve resources while the sovereignty dispute remains open.
## Historic legal claim
According to Marcelo Kohen, an international law expert, the Argentine legal claim is 'historic' as it is the first time in history that Argentina sues the UK for its activities in the Malvinas.

> It is the first time in history that Argentina decides to sue the UK for its activities in the Malvinas. The only precedent is the Argentine proposal for arbitration in 1884 that the UK rejected
## UN resolutions cited
The filing references UN General Assembly Resolution 31/49 from 1976 and Resolution 2065 from 1965, which address oil exploration and sovereignty disputes.
## Next steps
The court’s decision is due in December, a month before the drilling starts, following the UK’s announcement of measures to shield companies affected by Argentine sanctions.
## Key takeaway

Argentina has sued the UK at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea to halt a planned oil drilling project in the Malvinas/Falklands Islands scheduled for January 2027.