The interim ruling, issued by a court in Argentina’s Tierra del Fuego province, is a symbolic move amid Argentina's escalating claim over the British-administered territory. The judge ordered Britain’s Rockhopper Exploration and Israel’s Navitas Petroleum to halt drilling and extraction activities at the Sea Lion oilfield until an environmental impact assessment is conducted. Argentina's President Javier Milei's administration has also taken legal action, arguing the project violates a United Nations resolution calling for both sides to desist from unilateral actions in the islands until their dispute is resolved.