A leaked internal Pentagon email suggests the US should re-evaluate its support for Britain’s claim to the islands due to the lack of British support over Iran. The Pentagon email outlined possible measures to punish NATO allies that do not support US operations in Iran, including reevaluating Washington’s diplomatic support for longstanding European “imperial assets” such as the Falkland Islands. Argentina’s Foreign Minister, Pablo Quirno, responded to the reports by urging an end to British “colonialism” and calling for bilateral talks with the UK for a “peaceful and definitive solution”.
On Friday, longtime Donald Trump aide Javier Miley wrote on X (formerly Twitter) about the islands, also known as the Malvinas in Spanish: “The Malvinas were, are, and will always be Argentina.”
In a separate interview with Argentine news outlet Nura Media, the president also said: “We are doing everything humanly possible to get the Falkland Islands back into Argentine hands.
“Sovereignty cannot be compromised, but it must be handled judiciously, mindfully.”
Argentina has long maintained a claim to sovereignty over the Falkland Islands, a dispute that escalated into war in 1982 when Argentine forces invaded before being defeated by Britain in a brief but intense conflict.
The US president is an ally of Argentina’s President Javier Mili. Trump’s relationship with Prime Minister Keir Starmer has deteriorated significantly since the start of the Iran war. Trump has publicly criticized Starmer’s refusal to fully engage in US-led strikes on Iran and accused him of hesitation and lack of support for allied action.
Trump suggested that the traditional “special relationship” is “not what it was” and expressed disappointment in Britain’s cooperation.
Asked about the leaked emails, a No 10 spokesman said on Friday: “We could not be clearer about the UK’s position on the Falkland Islands. It has been for a long time, there has been no change.”
“Sovereignty rests in the UK and the islands’ right to self-determination is paramount. This has been and will remain our consistent position.”
The spokesman said Britain had expressed its position “clearly and consistently to successive US administrations”.
