'The Falklands are British - and will remain so': UK delivers defiant warning after Argentina makes new claim on the islands
Ed Miliband has hit back after Argentina's firebrand President Javier Milei said his country will "prevail" and reclaim the islands
Ed Miliband has reaffirmed Britain’s sovereignty over the Falkland Islands following a national address by Argentina's firebrand President Javier Milei.
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The Foreign Secretary insisted that Britain's position is "unwavering" and the islands will remain "British because it is the overwhelming position of the Islanders".
Mr Miliband's comments come after the Argentinian president ramped up tensions with a controversial national tv address.
Speaking from his presidential palace in Buenos Aires he insisted his country will "prevail" and reclaim the islands.
He warned that sanctions would be imposed on companies involved in offshore oil drilling near the British territory and said islanders have no right to self-determination.
He told Argentinians: "The islands are ours and they were taken from us."
The UK's position on the Falkland Islands is unwavering.
— Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) September 4, 2026
The Islands are British and will remain so because that is the overwhelming position of the Islanders.
Their right of self-determination is paramount, grounded in international law and we will resolutely uphold it.
Calling on Argentinians to unite behind his sovereignty claim, Mr Milei said Donald Trump was bringing "winds of change" now "blowing around the world" after the US President hinted he would not back Britain if Argentina invaded the Falklands again because former PM Sir Keir Starmer failed to back his war with Iran.
Announcing plans for a naval base in Tierre del Fuego in the south of Argentina, he said Argentina "will prevail" in its bid to reclaim the Falklands because Britain is "on a path of decline", beset by "multiple crises" including social, economic and immigration problems.
Mr Milei said: "In the world, the winds are blowing favourably for our claim right now. President Trump announced that the US is re-evaluating its historic position regarding the Malvinas."
He added that Argentina needs to "recover these islands" and would use "all the tools of the state: diplomatic, economic, judicial and legal" to impede drilling in the Sea Lion oilfield, which holds 1.7 billion barrels of oil.
“If we do not act swiftly in a few months, they will have the material capacity to access the oil that lies underneath our sea. Something that has never happened before,” he said.
In a 2013 referendum, the Falkland Islanders voted overwhelmingly to remain a British overseas territory, with 99.8% voting in favour and just three votes against.
Although the US is formally neutral, Washington provided support for Britain’s campaign to retake the islands after the Argentinian invasion in 1982.
Britain first landed on the uninhabited islands in 1690 and claimed them for the Crown in 1765. It has maintained a permanent presence there since 1833, 47 years before Argentina became a fully unified state following its declaration of independence from Spain in 1816.
A total of 255 British servicemen were among the 907 people who died in the 1982 Falklands war, which saw UK armed forces retake the islands after an Argentine invasion.
During the World Cup, Argentina's footballers caused outrage when they hijacked their semi-final win over England to carry a banner claiming the Falkland Islands belong to their country.
The 'Las Malvinas son Argentinas' banner, which used the Argentine name for the Falklands – Las Malvinas – was passed on to the pitch by fans and paraded by players.