Argentines have broadly backed President Javier Milei’s forceful push against oil drilling near the Falkland Islands, underscoring the enduring ​resonance of Argentina's sovereignty claim over the British-controlled archipelago.

In a televised address on Thursday, Milei said he would submit a bill to Congress ‌to toughen sanctions against companies drilling and participating in "other activities on the islands that impact our natural resources."

Milei previously favoured diplomacy over confrontation on the Falklands. Argentina has claimed sovereignty over the Falkland Islands for nearly two centuries and lost a war with Britain over them in 1982. Britain said on Friday its position was "unwavering."

Because Argentina does not administer the islands, it ​cannot directly block drilling there.

In Buenos Aires, Mariana Hamicha, a 49-year-old accountant, said Milei's tougher stance signaled Argentina was standing up for its ​interests.

"I think taking a firm stand, especially regarding the exploitation by foreign companies and the extraction of oil, can be a ⁠way of drawing a line in the sand," Hamicha said.

Milei also proposed creating a national security council to coordinate across aerospace and maritime security policy, and ​pledged more funding for a naval base in the southernmost province of Tierra del Fuego, a strategic gateway to the Falkland Islands and Antarctica. The government has ​not provided further details on the bill.

“What Milei understood is that this is the moment to act,” said Juan Battaleme, a former secretary of international affairs for defence under Milei.

 - Reuters