Argentina Seeks Iran Minister’s Arrest for 1994 Jewish Center Bombing

Argentina has requested Interpol to arrest Iran’s interior minister, Ahmad Vahidi, in connection with the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires that resulted in the deaths of 85 people, according to the foreign ministry.

Vahidi, who is currently part of an Iranian delegation visiting Pakistan and Sri Lanka, is the subject of a red alert issued by Interpol at Argentina’s request, the ministry stated. Argentina has also urged the governments of Pakistan and Sri Lanka to apprehend Vahidi.

Earlier this month, an Argentine court attributed responsibility for the 1994 attack on the AMIA Jewish community center and a previous bombing at the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires to Iran. Although the 1994 bombing was never officially claimed or solved, Argentina and Israel have long suspected Hezbollah’s involvement at Iran’s behest.

The court implicated top Iranian officials in orchestrating the attack, allegations which Tehran has consistently denied. Additionally, Hezbollah was named in the court’s findings, which classified the AMIA attack as a “crime against humanity.”

In a statement released on Tuesday, the foreign ministry reiterated Argentina’s pursuit of justice for the victims of the 1994 AMIA attack, emphasizing the need to hold those responsible accountable. Ahmad Vahidi, identified as one of the individuals involved in the AMIA bombing, remains a target for Argentine justice, the statement affirmed.

Argentina boasts the largest Jewish community in Latin America, numbering around 300,000 members. The country also hosts immigrant communities from the Middle East, particularly from Syria and Lebanon.