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He warned the world his country could “take matters into our own hands” if the multinational assembly did not take action.

When Argentina last attempted to invade the islands in 1982, it surrendered in just 74 days.

Now, in a statement issued by the UK’s UN ambassador’s office, Britain has reinforced its sovereignty over the islands and condemned the Argentines’ “inappropriate” behaviour.

It said: “Argentina regularly refers to United Nations resolutions, and regional diplomatic statements, calling for sovereignty negotiations over the Falkland Islands.

“However, these do not modify or dilute the obligation of nations to respect the legally binding right of self-determination.”

It added: “Argentina continues to deny that this fundamental human right applies to the people of the Falkland Islands, and actively seeks opportunities in international fora to assert its sovereignty claim.

“This behaviour is wholly incompatible with the principles established in the United Nations Charter and is not the behaviour we expect of a democracy.”

In a 2013 referendum with 92 per cent turnout, 99.8 per cent of residents voted to maintain its current status as a British Overseas Territory.

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Mr Milei has accused Britain of violating UN resolutions over development a Sea Lion, an offshore oil site set to be developed by an Israeli-British joint venture.

The Government said General Assembly Resolution 2065, which urged Britain and the Argentina to find a peaceful resolution over the Falkland Islands and UN Resolution 31/49 do not “prohibit economic development or displace the Islanders’ right of self-determination”.

“Ongoing efforts to obstruct and harass international companies involved in Falkland Islands hydrocarbons, and indeed other Falkland Island industries, are a wholly unacceptable attempt to exercise extra-territorial jurisdiction, and have no justification whatsoever in international law,” the office of Dame Sarah MacIntosh, Britain’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, added.

The Conservatives and Reform UK also hit out at Mr Milei’s furious outburst in New York – and both have urged Labour to step up.

Writing for GB News, former Home Secretary Priti Patel said his remarks were a “violation of our values”, but blamed Labour’s weakness for emboldening Mr Milei.

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She said: “Since Labour came to office two years ago, our standing in the world has fallen.

“They have seen how Keir Starmer capitulated to Mauritius over the surrender of the Chagos Islands and how Andy Burnham has abandoned Israel.”

She added: “Instead of flying the Union Flag proudly, Labour ministers are travelling the world waving the white flag of surrender.”

Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, said that now was the time to reinforce the islands.

He said: “We must strengthen the garrison on the Falklands to make it too costly for Argentina to even consider military intervention. Now is the time to act.”

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The islands were first landed on by English explorers more than a century before Argentina existed as an independent state.

They had no permanent population before the British arrived.

Argentina claimes that when it gained independence from Spain in the early 1800s, it automatically inherited the islands too.

It also claims the Royal Navy expelled the Argentine population of the islands in 1833. In fact, the civilians were allowed to stay.

Britain did order a military garrison to leave – though the soldiers had only been there for three months, during which time they had mutinied, murdered their commanding officer and terrorised the local community.