Argentine President Javier Milei said on 2026-09-03 in a televised national address that he would sanction oil companies drilling in the Falkland Islands, the British overseas territory Argentina calls Las Malvinas. ^[1] Argentine President Javier Milei announced on 2026-09-03 that he will accelerate sanctions against companies operating around the Falkland Islands without Argentine approval and will build an integrated naval base in Tierra del Fuego, as part of a 'proportional response' to what he called a 'clear and urgent danger' to Argentina's claim. ^[2] Argentine President Javier Milei said in a televised address that he would seek approval of urgent legislation to toughen penalties for companies operating near the Falkland Islands without approval from Buenos Aires, threatening sanctions against oil drilling firms. ^[3] London-listed oil exploration company Rockhopper stated that threats from the Argentinian government regarding its offshore oil project near the Falkland Islands will not have a material effect on the operation. ^[4] British defence minister Wes Streeting said on 2026-09-04 on X that Falkland islanders had chosen to be British and that Britain's commitment to the Falklands is 'absolute and unshakeable'. ^[5] The Sea Lion oil project, about 140 miles north of the Falkland Islands, is operated by Tel Aviv-listed Navitas Petroleum and has London-listed Rockhopper Exploration among its shareholders with a 35% interest. ^[6] U.S. President Donald Trump said on 2026-09-03 that he was reviewing the United States' neutral position on the Falkland Islands. ^[7] A UK unit of Israel's Navitas Petroleum owns a majority stake in the Sea Lion oil project, while UK partner Rockhopper Exploration Plc holds the remaining share. ^[8] The Sea Lion oil project in the Falkland Islands, expected to start production in March 2028, will have an initial output of 35,000 barrels of oil and equivalent gas per day, with further output planned in future phases. ^[9] The sanctions would target the Sea Lion project, a deep-sea oil field about 140 miles (220 kilometres) north of the Falkland Islands, developed by the UK's Rockhopper Exploration and Israel's Navitas Petroleum. ^[10] UK Defence Secretary Wes Streeting said on Friday that Milei's statement 'tells us more about domestic politics in Argentina than it does about the Falkland Islands' and reaffirmed that 'The Falklands are British because Falkland Islanders choose to be British.' ^[11] President Javier Milei declared the Sea Lion oilfield a clear and present danger to the country's claims over the territory. ^[12]