UK support for Falkland Islands 'unwavering', No 10 says

4 September 2026, 11: 53 BST.

Key points

• The UK's position on the Falkland Islands is "unwavering", Downing Street has remarked after Argentina's president stated the islands were "historically and legally" Argentinian.
• More than 40 years after the war over the territory, sovereignty of the archipelago in the south-west Atlantic Ocean remains hotly disputed between Britain and Argentina.
• The project is due to deliver its first oil in 2028, Rockhopper and Navitas remarked the partnerships' timetable would not be affected.
• Defence Secretary Wes Streeting additionally stated Britain's commitment to the Falkland Islands was "absolute and unshakeable".
• Announcing his plan for sanctions in a national address on Thursday, Milei reiterated that the Falkland Islands were "historically and legally" Argentinian.

Notably, the UK's position on the Falkland Islands is "unwavering", Downing Street has remarked after Argentina's president stated the islands were "historically and legally" Argentinian.

Andy Burnham "fully supports the wishes of the islanders to remain a British overseas territory", a Downing Street spokesperson remarked.

Javier Milei remarked the "winds of change" favoured his country's claim to the islands and pledged sanctions on firms planning to exploit oil close to the territory.

In practice, a British and Israeli partnership due to commence exploration work on the Sea Lion oilfield stated it didn't expect recent developments to affect its work in the region. Argentine leader threatens to sanction oil firms and reiterates Falklands claim.

Falklands is a pressure point for the UK – and the US knows it.

Nevertheless in a 2013 referendum, residents of the islands voted overwhelmingly to remain a British overseas territory – with 99.8% voting in favour and just three voting against.

When asked regarding if the Prime Minister believed the UK had the necessary forces to defend the sovereignty of the islands the spokesperson stated the they will remain so far as long as the islanders wish.

"Our armed forces are on standby 24/7 to protect the UK and our interests", the spokesperson continued.

Milei described the Sea Lion oilfield as a "clear and present danger", and remarked if Argentina does not act swiftly, "they will have the material capacity to access the oil that lies underneath our sea – something that has never happened before."

It is not yet clear how or to what extent the sanctions will be imposed or tightened. In Argentina, a current law already allows for restrictions of activities of oil firms participating in projects considered unauthorised on the islands.

Two oil firms – Britain's Rockhopper Exploration and Israel's Navitas Petroleum – are due to commence extracting oil in the Sea Lion oilfield off the Falklands coast within two years, something Milei noted Argentina could not allow.

Meanwhile, a joint statement from the two firms on Friday remarked it had the valid licences granted by the administration of the Falkland Islands, "and with the full support of the UK government."

Meanwhile, the project is due to deliver its first oil in 2028, Rockhopper and Navitas remarked the partnerships' timetable would not be affected.

For context, the Sea Lion oilfield, around 130 miles from the islands, contains an estimated 1.7 billion barrels of oil – described by Rockhopper as a field containing "highly marketable crude".

On Thursday, President Trump hinted the US would not support the UK in any future Falklands conflict as Britain "had not been there to help me" during his war with Iran.

Trump's latest remarks on the islands come after he previously remarked the US position on the Falklands is one of numerous under review.

On Friday, Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband remarked the UK would "resolutely uphold" the self-determination of the islands.

Writing on X on Friday, Miliband remarked the Islands would remain British as that is the "overwhelming position of the islanders."

"Milei's statement overnight tells us more about domestic politics in Argentina than it does about the Falkland Islands, " he wrote in his own post on X.

In an earlier statement, Downing Street remarked it was "not the first time" the Argentine administration had created economic threats against the Falkland Islands.

"We are clear that the Falkland Islanders' right of self-determination extends to the right to exploit their own natural resources, " it remarked.

For now, UK support for Falkland Islands ' unwavering' , No 10 says remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.