[Published: Saturday October 17 2026]
 Argentina asks maritime tribunal to halt Falklands oil project
THE UNITED NATIONS, 17 Oct. - (ANA) - Argentina has asked the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) to order the United Kingdom to halt an offshore oil project near the Falkland Islands (Malvinas), the Hamburg-based court said on Tuesday.
Buenos Aires wants the Sea Lion development in the North Malvinas Basin stopped while an arbitration case launched by Argentina on 28 September is under way.
It also wants London to refrain from steps that could aggravate the dispute, such as granting new permits.
A hearing date will be announced shortly.
Long-running dispute
The UN lists the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) as a non-self-governing territory and has long urged both sides to negotiate.
Britain has administered them since 1833; Argentina claims sovereignty and the two countries went to war over the islands in 1982. Buenos Aires seeks to resume bilateral negotiations over the islands.
London says the islanders have the right to determine their own future and no discussion over sovereignty can occur without their consent.
Tensions have risen in recent weeks, after President Javier Milei gave London a two-week ultimatum over the project, announcing tougher measures against any companies involved in oil and gas exploration around the islands. - (ANA) -
AB/ANA/17 October 2026 - - -
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