Trump could trade Falklands support for Argentine shale to curb Iran and China

In a strategic commentary, the writer asserts that America’s recent acquisition of Venezuelan oil has altered the global energy map but that further action is needed to starve Iran of revenue. He proposes that the United States endorse Argentine President Javier Milei’s claim to the Falkland Islands, securing a long-term stake in the Vaca Muerta shale formation, which could yield 1.5 million barrels per day by 2030. Citing the 1940 Destroyers-for-Bases agreement as precedent, the plan calls for a permanent US naval and space-tracking presence in Tierra del Fuego to counter Chinese maritime ambitions.

A “Falkland Sovereignty Buyout Fund,” financed by royalties on Vaca Muerta drilling, would offer each island resident a $5 million relocation package, while a trilateral corporate condominium involving US majors, Argentina’s YPF, British firms and an Israeli operator would manage offshore resources. The author warns that missing this window would forfeit an opportunity to cement US dominance in the Western Hemisphere and undermine adversaries.