Argentina files international case against Israeli-led oil project in UK's Falkland Islands

Argentina said Tuesday it filed a request for provisional measures with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea seeking to halt British-authorized hydrocarbon activity near the Falkland Islands. The move follows UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband's approval of the Sea Lion field, an Israeli-led project by Navitas Petroleum. In September, Argentina began sanctions proceedings against over 60 companies and people tied to the project.

Argentina's government said on Tuesday it filed a request for provisional measures with the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, seeking to halt British-authorized hydrocarbon activity near the Falkland Islands. The request aims to prevent the United Kingdom from exploiting hydrocarbon resources on the continental shelf of the Northern Falklands Basin, according to a government statement. The Argentine filing follows an earlier approval on Tuesday by UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband for the Sea Lion field, a new Israeli-led oil-field development in the area, The Telegraph reported. Israeli oil company Navitas Petroleum confirmed Miliband's approval, with the company leading the project. In September, Argentina began sanctions proceedings against more than 60 companies and people linked to the offshore oil drilling project, a move UK officials have strongly pushed back on. British Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Overseas Territories Uma Kumaran called the Argentine sanctions "unacceptable," saying "the Falkland Islands are British and they have the right to develop their natural resources as they see fit." Also in September, Argentina's government announced it will file a criminal complaint against Navitas for operating in the Falklands.