Argentinian judge orders suspension of Falklands oil project

The symbolic move comes as Argentina escalates its claim over the British-administered territory.

Magnets bearing the Spanish words ‘The Malvinas are Argentine’, referring to the Falkland Islands, are displayed at a fair in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on August 14, 2026 [File: Rodrigo Abd/AP]

An Argentinian judge has ordered the suspension of a British-Israeli oil project near the Falkland Islands in a purely symbolic move as Argentina escalates its claim over the British-administered territory.

Wednesday’s interim ruling issued by a court in Argentina’s southernmost province, Tierra del Fuego, follows a lawsuit filed by 1982 war veterans and environmental lawyers earlier this month.

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The plaintiffs sought to block Britain’s Rockhopper Exploration and Israel’s Navitas Petroleum from the Sea Lion oilfield, located about 220km (137 miles) from the islands.

The judge ordered the companies to “refrain from initiating, pursuing, carrying out or having carried out any material actions” that would involve drilling, installing infrastructure or extracting hydrocarbons, according to a ruling seen by the AFP news agency.

Additionally, the suspension applies “until such time as the environmental impact assessment procedure has been conducted before the national authority competent in environmental matters”.

The judge gave the parties 10 days to provide information, including details about the status of the project, its contractors and its financiers.

President Javier Milei’s administration has also taken legal action against the project, arguing it violates a United Nations resolution calling for both sides to desist from unilateral actions in the islands until their dispute is resolved.

The court order comes just a day after Argentina announced it would file further legal complaints against companies exploring for oil near the islands, intensifying its campaign against businesses operating in the British overseas territory.

Britain and Argentina fought a brief but bitter 10-week war in 1982 over the South Atlantic islands, known to Argentines as the Malvinas.

The 1982 war ended with an Argentinian surrender after 74 days of conflict that killed 649 Argentines and 255 British troops, as well as three Falkland Islanders.

Buenos Aires has doubled down on its claim over the Falkland Islands after US President Donald Trump said Washington was open to reviewing its historically neutral stance on the territory.

London maintains the islands are British and rejects the jurisdiction of Argentinian courts in the Falklands.

The islanders themselves voted overwhelmingly in 2013 to remain British.

But Argentina rejects that outcome, arguing that the principle of self-determination does not apply to a population it considers implanted by Britain after 1833.

阿根廷此举具有象征意义，正值其加大对英国管辖领土的声索力度之际。

2026年8月14日，在阿根廷布宜诺斯艾利斯的一个博览会上，展出了印有西班牙语“马尔维纳斯群岛是阿根廷的”字样的磁铁，指的是福克兰群岛。[图片：Rodrigo Abd/AP]

阿根廷一名法官下令暂停英以在福克兰群岛附近的一个石油项目，此举纯粹具有象征意义，因为阿根廷正在加大对这片英国管辖领土的主权声索力度。

阿根廷最南端的火地岛省一家法院周三发布的临时裁决，源于本月初由 1982 年战争老兵和环境律师提起的一项诉讼。

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原告试图阻止英国的 Rockhopper Exploration 公司和以色列的 Navitas Petroleum 公司开采位于距离这些岛屿约 220 公里（137 英里）的 Sea Lion 油田。

据法新社报道，法官下令这些公司“不得发起、进行、实施或已实施任何实质性行动”，包括钻探、安装基础设施或开采碳氢化合物。

此外，暂停期限“直至国家环境主管机关完成环境影响评估程序为止”。

法官给予各方 10 天时间提供信息，包括项目现状、承包商和融资方的详细信息。

哈维尔·米莱总统的政府也对该项目采取了法律行动，认为该项目违反了联合国的一项决议，该决议呼吁双方在争端解决之前停止在这些岛屿上采取单方面行动。

就在阿根廷宣布将对在岛屿附近勘探石油的公司提起更多法律诉讼的第二天，法院下达了这项命令。阿根廷此举加大了对在英国海外领土上经营的企业的打击力度。

1982 年，英国和阿根廷为了争夺南大西洋岛屿（阿根廷人称之为马尔维纳斯群岛）而爆发了一场短暂但残酷的 10 周战争。

1982 年的战争以阿根廷投降告终，这场战争持续了 74 天，造成 649 名阿根廷人和 255 名英国士兵丧生，还有 3 名福克兰群岛居民死亡。

在美国总统唐纳德·特朗普表示华盛顿愿意重新审视其在福克兰群岛问题上历来保持的中立立场后，布宜诺斯艾利斯重申了其对该群岛的主权声索。

伦敦方面坚称这些岛屿是英国的领土，并拒绝承认阿根廷法院对福克兰群岛的管辖权。

2013年，岛民们以压倒性多数投票决定继续留在英国。

但阿根廷拒绝接受这一结果，认为自决原则不适用于它认为在 1833 年后由英国安置的人口。