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Pulling oil out of a shelf whose sovereignty is formally disputed is theft with a license attached, and no amount of paperwork from an occupying power makes it lawful. Since the U.N. itself told both sides to negotiate and avoid unilateral moves, drilling ahead of any settlement shreds the only framework that exists. Arbitration is the peaceful, grown-up answer — sovereignty defended with legal action instead of empty speeches.
Islanders who have governed themselves for generations and voted 99.8% to stay British are not a bargaining chip, and their right to develop their own resources does not evaporate because a foreign capital says so. Companies holding valid licenses from the islands' own government deserve legal certainty, not criminal complaints filed by a state with no jurisdiction over them. Threatening tribunals and sanctions looks like a distraction from troubles at home.