Argentina protests about 'illegal' British warship near Falkland Islands

Argentina protested an “unconsulted and illegal” voyage by a British warship near the Falkland Islands following its World Cup win over England. The complaint was lodged by foreign minister Pablo Quirno, who said HMS Medway entered Argentine waters earlier this month without notifying the country, describing it as a “military incursion.” Quirno wrote on X that it was the strongest rejection of the action and that a formal note of protest was sent to the British embassy. HMS Medway, a Batch 2 River-class offshore patrol vessel based in the Falklands, replaced HMS Forth in January as the Royal Navy’s permanent guard ship, tasked with maritime patrols and fishery protection. The diplomatic flare-up comes amid renewed sovereignty tensions ahead of the World Cup semifinal, when Quirno demanded Britain open talks and attacked the 2013 referendum as illegitimate. The article also references Argentina’s political messaging around the Falklands and earlier post-match clashes in Atlanta.