Argentine government seeks arrest of Iranian minister for 1994 attack – Latest Updates

The Argentine government wants to arrest Iran’s interior minister. Ahmad Vahidi is responsible for the 1994 attack on a Jewish cultural center in the capital Buenos Aires, according to Argentina. 94 people were killed and another 300 were injured.

Vahdi was at the time in charge of the Quds Force, the special branch of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards responsible for special military operations abroad. In that capacity, according to Argentina, he allegedly ordered the attack.

Argentina’s request comes at a surprising time, as the Iranian minister would be visiting Pakistan and Sri Lanka with a delegation these days. The international police organization Interpol has asked these countries to arrest him, but they are under no obligation to do so.

It is not clear if this is the case, as the Iranian news agency Irna writes that Vahidi was in Iran today. It is not known if he returned from the earlier trip or if he did not leave at all.

The request from Argentina comes two weeks after a decision by the country’s highest court, which ruled that Iran was responsible for the murder.

During the attack on July 18, 1994, a suicide bomber in Buenos Aires detonated a heavy bomb in a van. The bus was parked in the main building of the city’s Jewish community. A huge explosion followed, completely destroying the seven-story building. Almost all the victims were Jewish. It remains the deadliest attack in Argentine history.

Argentina, but also the United States and Israel, hold the terrorist group Hezbollah responsible for the attack. In the background, it is said that Iran played an important role as a client. Hezbollah and Iran have always denied having anything to do with it and there has never been a conviction.

Maybe that had to do with the political situation in Argentina. Several presidents are said to have obstructed the investigation into the attack. It is said that President Menem, who came to power in 1994, received bribes from Iran. His then intelligence chief was convicted in that case. Later, the search was not a priority because Argentina and Iran wanted to strengthen economic ties.