MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Iran cuts economic relations with Argentina

Iran has announced that it is cutting cultural and economic ties with Argentina following the arrest of its former Ambassador to Buenos Aires last week.

Hadi Soleimanpour was arrested by British police last Thursday in Durham, England after an Argentine court requested his arrest for his alleged role in the bombing of a Jewish community centre in Buenos Aires in 1994 in which at least 85 people were killed.

The diplomatic row intensified when senior Argentine and British diplomats were summoned to Iran's Foreign Ministry in protest for the arrest. Argentine Charge d'Affaires was informed that Argentina would be accountable for all the legal and political impacts of the court's rulings.

Former ambassador Soleimanpour who was on a student visa in Britain when arrested is alleged to have been involved in planning and commissioning the bombing and apparently also provided information about the location and timing of the attack against the Israeli-Argentine Mutual Association, AMIA, building.

Iran said the court case and arrest of Mr. Soleimanpour was politically motivated and orchestrated by what it called the Zionist regime of Israel.

Argentine Ambassador in London Vicente Berasategui when asked by the Argentine press about extradition said that since in 1993 both countries signed an agreement which is effective, but "we must be careful not to interfere with the judiciary proceedings".

Argentine Judge Galeano's international request includes seven Iranian diplomats, all of whom are allegedly involved in the "international connection" of the July 18th bombing.

In Buenos Aires AMIA president Abraham Kaul rejected Iran's allegations that the arrest was in response to Israel's pressures and said that the diplomat will have to come to Argentina and "explain what happened"

"If he's not involved, he will be set free", but Mr. Kaul insisted that during Ambassador Soleimanpour time in Buenos Aires "many irregularities occurred that link him to the attack".

"This is no Zionist propaganda; Mr. Soleimanpour never honoured his public commitment to help with the investigation and Iran never replied the Argentine judiciary requests", underlined Mr. Kaul.