Iran's trade with Argentina grew last year while trade with Brazil declined, according to an analysis by online business publication Latinvex based on data from the IMF. Iran's total trade with Latin America grew by 0.9% to 4 billion dollars in 2012. Brazil and Argentina still dominate Iran's trade with Latin America, accounting for 93% of the region's total trade with the Persian country.
In a recent letter to Republican senator Mark Kirk, the US State Department said that in light of Argentine prosecutor Alberto Nisman's report on Iran, they were now re-evaluating the information in their highly criticized May report on Iranian activity in the Western Hemisphere.
New Iranian President Hassan Rouhani met in Tehran on Sunday with Cuban Vice President Ricardo Cabrisas and said his country wanted to expand its relations with Latin America, “especially with Cuba,” Iran's Isna news agency reported.<br />
Cabrisas traveled to Iran for Rouhani's inauguration on Sunday.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani picked a cabinet of experienced technocrats as he took the oath of office, saying he hoped confidence-building with foreign powers would help resolve the nuclear dispute and ease international sanctions.
World powers offered cautious welcome to moderate cleric Hassan Rowhani after he was declared Iran's new president, amid persistent concerns over Tehran's nuclear program.
Argentine prosecutor Alberto Nisman responsible for the investigation into the 1994 bombing of a Jewish institution in Buenos Aires that killed 85 people and which points as culprits to several Iranian officials said he will step down if those Iranians named in the report “surrender to face trial”.
In a brief but extremely aggressive release the Iranian Foreign Ministry rejected point blank the report from Argentine Prosecutor Alberto Nisman whom they described as “Zionist” and denied all allegations that Tehran has infiltrated nine South American countries to commit terrorist acts.
Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman met on Thursday with Interpol top officials and said he received ‘very strong support’ for the memorandum signed with Iran, which includes the questioning of those allegedly involved in the 1994 attack on the Jewish organization AMIA in Buenos Aires that killed 85 and left dozens injured.
Two suspects in the bombing of the AMIA Jewish centre in Buenos Aires are candidates in Iran’s presidential election. Mohsen Rezai and Ali Akbar Velayati, who are believed to have planned the 1994 attack, were among the eight candidates approved for the June 14 election by Iran’s Guardian Council to succeed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
The business representative of the Iranian embassy in Buenos Aires Alí Pakdaman announced on Monday that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad endorsed without Congress approval the Memorandum of Understanding signed by Argentina and Tehran in order to investigate the AMIA Jewish centre bombing which killed 85 people in 1994.