Argentina urges Falklands talks after Pentagon email signals possible U.S. policy shift

Argentina urges Falklands talks after Pentagon email signals possible U.S. policy shift
Argentine President Javier Milei and officials attend an event to remember the 1982 war in the Falkland Islands, also known as Malvinas, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2 April, 2026.
Reuters
By Robert Firth , Reuters
April 25, 2026 07:41
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Argentina has reiterated its interest in resuming talks with the United Kingdom over the Falkland Islands, a disputed archipelago in the South Atlantic, after reports that an internal Pentagon email suggested reviewing Washington’s support for the UK’s claim amid tensions over the Iran war.

Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno said Buenos Aires was ready to pursue a “peaceful and definitive solution” to the long-running sovereignty dispute over the islands, known in Argentina as Las Malvinas.

“The Argentine Republic once again expresses its willingness to resume bilateral negotiations with the United Kingdom that will allow for finding a peaceful and definitive solution to the sovereignty dispute,” he wrote on X on Saturday (25 April).

The comments followed reports that a Pentagon communication indicated the U.S. could review its position, potentially in response to wider geopolitical pressures.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer reaffirmed the UK’s sovereignty over the islands on Friday (24 April), saying the government’s position remained “longstanding” and “unchanged”.  

"We could not be clearer about the UK's position on the Falkland Islands. It is longstanding, it is unchanged," a spokesperson for Starmer told reporters.

A man walks as a Union Jack flag is seen in the background in Goose Green, Falklands Island/Las Malvinas 16 May, 2018.
Reuters

The UK and Argentina fought a 10-week war over the islands in 1982, after Argentine forces invaded and briefly occupied the territory. Around 649 Argentine and 255 British service personnel were killed, along with three islanders, before Argentina surrendered.  

Britain established a settlement on the previously uninhabited islands in 1765, later withdrawing for economic reasons. Spain controlled the territory until 1811 before leaving.  

Argentina claimed the islands in 1820 after gaining independence from Spain. In 1833, the UK re-established control, expelling Argentine authorities. 

Argentina continues to claim the islands, along with South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, as its territory.  

In a 2013 referendum, 99.8% of residents voted to remain a UK Overseas Territory.  

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News Argentina United Kingdom falkland islands las malvinas
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