The move comes after President Javier Milei declared that the "winds of change" now favor Argentina's claim to the South Atlantic archipelago, which the country calls Las Malvinas. Argentina's presidency stated Friday that it had ordered proceedings to investigate 45 entities "linked to the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons" in the waters around the Falklands. While the statement did not name the companies involved, Argentine media reported they include firms from Britain, the US, Canada, Israel, Denmark, and the Netherlands. On Saturday, oilfield services companies Schlumberger, Halliburton, and Baker Hughes issued statements saying they do not—and will not—work on hydrocarbon projects near the islands. Milei later shared a news report of these statements on X with a phrase roughly translating to "everything is going according to plan." The Falklands sit about 600 km east of Argentina's southern tip and are administered by Britain. The two nations fought a 10-week war over the islands in 1982, which ended in Argentina's surrender after 74 days of conflict that killed 649 Argentine and 255 British troops. In a speech Thursday, Milei renewed Argentina's claim to the islands and announced tougher sanctions against companies tied to nearby oil projects. "There are winds of change in the world that are favorable to our claim," he said. Milei's remarks followed comments Monday from US President Donald Trump indicating Washington was reviewing its position on the Falklands. According to media reports, the US has threatened to oppose Britain's sovereignty over the territory unless the UK increases its NATO defense spending. British Defense Secretary Wes Streeting responded by affirming Britain's "unshakeable" commitment to the islands. "The Falklands are British because Falkland Islanders choose to be British," he posted Friday. (Bssnews)