Argentina has asked Interpol to issue an arrest notice for Iran’s interior minister, Ahmad Vahidi. This request comes after an Argentine court held Iran responsible for the 1994 attack on a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, which killed 85 people.
Mr. Vahidi was recently in Pakistan as part of an Iranian delegation, and they are now in Sri Lanka. Argentina has also asked Pakistan and Sri Lanka to detain Mr. Vahidi.
Interpol has issued a “red notice,” which alerts police in member countries about internationally wanted individuals. However, it doesn’t serve as an arrest warrant, and it’s up to each member country to decide whether to make an arrest.
While the Iranian delegation, including President Ebrahim Raisi, arrived in Sri Lanka, Mr. Vahidi was not seen accompanying them. Iran’s official news agency reported that Mr. Vahidi returned to Iran on Tuesday, without mentioning the red notice.
Argentina accuses Mr. Vahidi of being involved in the Amia attack, which was the deadliest in Argentina’s history. The court recently ruled that Iran planned the attack, carried out by the Iran-backed group Hezbollah, calling it a “crime against humanity.”
Iran denies any involvement, dismissing the court’s ruling as “baseless and unsubstantiated.”
Argentina’s Jewish community was also targeted in a previous attack on the Israeli embassy. The country has long blamed Iran and Hezbollah for both attacks.
Argentina’s request for Mr. Vahidi’s arrest highlights the ongoing tensions and legal battles surrounding these tragic events.
