Argentina and Britain went to war over the Falklands in 1982 but recent British-backed exploration for hydrocarbons in the islands' waters has reignited tension between Buenos Aires and London and Stanley, the Falklands' capital.

This week Argentina toughened its stand on the oil and gas exploration operations and unveiled plans for sanctions against shippers and firms that trade in the Falklands, in particular firms involved with any area of hydrocarbons exploration activities.

The move followed Argentina's warnings it considered the Falklands its sovereign territory and would raise the matter of British-backed oil exploration at an international tribunal.

Argentina says the British-backed hydrocarbons exploration in the islands' basin is a violation of Argentine sovereignty.

The Argentine campaign coincides with the scheduled arrival next week of a Scottish oil rig, Ocean Guardian, leased by oil companies operating in the Falklands. Argentine media reported that defense ministry officials were tracking the oil rig's course and were taking its photographs in preparation for further action.

In an indication that Argentina intended to carry out its threat to punish firms that participate in the Falklands oil exploration operations, officials prevented a British-flagged merchant vessel, Thor Leader, from leaving the port of Campana.

The vessel was loading steel pipes bound for Egypt but officials accused the operators of having transported goods earlier to the oil exploration operations in the Falklands.

Officials said the action against the ship was a robust rejection of British plans to explore for hydrocarbons "in the disputed Malvinas" -- Argentina's term for the Falklands.

Buenos Aires recruited a team of legal experts in preparation for what could be protracted litigation over the Falklands at the International Court at The Hague.

Officials told the media the Argentine government strategy would be to create a heightened sense of insecurity for all operators in the offshore exploration.

"Offshore oil drilling is a very high-risk operation and if a sense of insecurity can be injected, it should further discourage the enterprise," said an Argentine official source quoted in the media, MercoPress reported.

Despite heightened tensions over the rhetoric of official pronouncements, Argentine opposition critics remain skeptical and have accused the government of overreaction.

The Argentine opposition in in Parliament asked for Foreign Minister Jorge Taiana to be summoned to report on the Thor Leader incident and hinted the government response might be exaggerated.

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