Argentina Agrees To Meet With Iran Over Bombing
The Argentinian president announced on Tuesday in the General Assembly of the United Nations that her country and Iran have an agreement to hold talks regarding the deadly 1994 explosion at the Jewish Centre in Buenos Aires.
Cristina Fernandez announced that the talks were initiated by Iranian authorities and will take place on the sidelines of the UN meeting at the level of foreign ministers.
“Iran would like to cooperate in the investigation of the event,” Fernandez said.
On July 18, 1994, a vehicle carrying explosives blew up in front of the Jewish Centre in a populated area of Buenos Aires, killing 85 people and injuring 300.
Argentinian authorities have accused Lebanon’s Hezbollah as the perpetrator of the explosion and also accused Iran of supporting the attack, but Iran denied the allegations.
In 2007, Argentinian authorities issued arrest warrants for five Iranians and one Lebanese national in connection with the 1994 bombing. One of the Iranians is Ahmad Vahidi, Iran’s current defence minister.
In addition, arrest warrants were given to Interpol for Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, Iran’s president at the time, Ali Fallahian and Ali Akbar Velayati, the ministers of intelligence and foreign affairs in his cabinet, and Mohsen Rezai, chief commander of the Revolutionary Guards.
Last year, on the 17th anniversary of the bombing, Iran announced that it was prepared to cooperate with Argentina in the investigation of the attack.
Kristina Fernandez said she is hopeful that the talks will yield positive results.
