Groups representing war veterans and environmental activists announced on Tuesday a lawsuit to halt the controversial British-Israeli Sea Lion oil project off the northern coast of the disputed Malvinas Islands. ^[1] The Federal Court of Rio Grande ordered a consultation with the federal prosecutor regarding jurisdiction and the collective nature of the process before ruling on the suspension of oil exploration projects. ^[2] Environmental lawyer Enrique Viale stated that the lawsuit aims to stop the project which he argues violates a United Nations resolution stating that unilateral actions must be avoided while a territorial or sovereignty dispute is ongoing. ^[3] The lawsuit seeks to ensure that the companies refrain from starting and/or continuing the works, preparatory activities, financing, and any other relevant intervention linked to the enterprise, as well as from initiating the extraction and exploitation of hydrocarbons. ^[4] The project is promoted by British firm Rockhopper Exploration and Israel's Navitas Petroleum, aiming to establish large-scale oil exploitation on the Argentine continental shelf, 220 kilometres from the Malvinas. ^[5] Judge Mariel Borruto requested the federal prosecutor to determine if the Rio Grande Federal Court is competent to intervene in a case involving foreign companies and environmental treaties. ^[6] The defendants, Rockhopper Exploration and Navitas Petroleum, are British and Israeli companies attempting to develop the Sea Lion project in the North Falklands Basin without prior national authorization or environmental impact assessment. ^[7] The plaintiffs seek the immediate suspension of works, seabed movements, and financial operations related to the Sea Lion project located approximately 220 kilometers north of the Falkland Islands. ^[8]