MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Iran insists in cooperating with Argentina to clarify 1994 attack on Jewish centre

General Ahmad Vahidi, Defence Minister since 2009, the main culprit according to the Argentine investigation

Following Iran’s offer Sunday to help investigate into the attack on the Argentine Jewish community centre (AMIA) which took place in 1994 and claimed the lives of 85 people, Teheran insisted in cooperating with Argentina to uncover the truth behind the attack, and make efforts to prove the innocence of the accused Iranian people.

Ramin Mehmanparast, spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, communicated that they “are willing to make serious efforts to clarify the truth and prove the innocence of the accused Iranian people,” seventeen years after the car bomb attack took place in Buenos Aires.

He added that “an in-depth investigation will show that other countries were involved,” without giving more details.

The Argentine government considers that one of the main suspects behind the attack is General Ahmad Vahidi, who in 2009 was named Defence Minister by President Mahmud Ahmadineyad.

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner has asked on numerous occasions for Vahidi to be extradited along with other Iranian government members who were allegedly involved in the attack that killed 85 and left 300 people injured.

Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman, confirmed Monday to have “officially received the Iranian offer,” acknowledging that the move was an “important step forward,” before the 17th anniversary ceremony took place.

The AMIA attack was the worst terrorist attack in Argentine history, and took place two years after the attack on the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires which left 22 people dead and 200 injured.

The Argentine Jewish Community is the largest in Latin America, with some 300,000 members.