Argentina to file criminal case against oil company

The Argentine government has said that it would file criminal charges against oil company Navitas Petroleum for operating in seas off the Falkland Islands.

Argentine President Javier Milei said that oil companies drilling off the Falklands would face sanctions

The move comes days after Argentine President Javier Milei stepped up Argentina's claims of sovereignty over the Falklands.

Reacting to the news, Foreign Office Minister Kirsty McNeill insisted that there could be 'no doubt' about the British government's commitment to the Falkland Islanders.

Sovereignty of the archipelago remains disputed between the UK and Argentina more than 40 years after a British military task force ejected Argentine forces which had invaded the territory in 1982.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Tuesday, McNeill said that 'the decision by the Falkland Islands government to pursue hydrocarbon production is a commercial decision for them to take alongside the commercial companies involved'.

The future of the Falkland Islands is for Falkland Islanders to determine.

The move was seen as a significant escalation in Argentina's claims over the disputed territory, with many analysts warning that it could lead to conflict between the two countries.