Argentina says it will file criminal charges against energy company in Falklands row

Argentina’s government said on Monday it will file criminal charges against the Israeli energy company Navitas Petroleum and its executives for operating in the Falkland Islands. The move follows remarks on Friday by President Javier Milei, who vowed to sanction oil companies drilling in the British overseas territory as he stepped up Argentina’s sovereignty claims. According to a statement from the presidency, Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno will file the criminal complaint against several Navitas subsidiaries and partners operating in the territory, along with their corporate directors.

Navitas did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The government alleges the firms violated Argentinian law by holding hydrocarbon exploration and exploitation licenses issued by the UK in the North Falkland Basin. Milei last week singled out the Sea Lion offshore oil project, operated by Tel Aviv-listed Navitas Petroleum, which holds a 65% stake.

Gideon Tadmor, a prominent figure in Israel’s energy sector and the company’s chair, holds about 9% of its shares. Milei said in a televised address that ‘winds of change’ favourable to Argentina’s claim to the Falkland Islands are blowing around the world, referencing earlier comments by Donald Trump about reconsidering US support for Britain’s sovereignty. The US officially takes a neutral position on the islands’ sovereignty, though in practice it recognizes British administration.

Milei portrayed Trump’s response as a ‘threat’ and claimed Argentina would bar companies developing oil ‘behind the Argentine government’s back’ from doing business in Argentina. The UK condemned Milei’s comments, stating the Falklands would remain British. Speculation about a US shift in allegiance over the islands has been ongoing, with leaked Pentagon emails suggesting a review of Britain’s claim due to lack of support for Trump’s Iran decision.

Milei argued Argentina is a reliable ally in a strategically important region, while the UK emphasized the islands’ continued British sovereignty.

Source: The Guardian