Argentina’s President Javier Milei has given Britain two weeks to halt the Sea Lion oil project near the Falkland Islands, threatening to take the dispute to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. The ultimatum escalates a long-running sovereignty row over the islands, which Argentina calls the Malvinas.

An Argentine judge had earlier ordered the project suspended pending an environmental review, though enforcing that order internationally remains uncertain. The Sea Lion development is being pursued by Navitas Petroleum and Rockhopper Exploration, which say they hold valid licences issued by Britain.

The companies argue the project complies with environmental standards and could bring significant revenue to the islands’ economy. Buenos Aires maintains that any hydrocarbon exploration in the disputed waters violates its sovereign rights. The dispute adds to tensions that have flared periodically since the 1982 Falklands War. Britain has consistently said the islanders’ right to self-determination is not negotiable, and has shown no sign of pausing the project.