BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — The presence of a senior Iranian official on the investiture of Nicaragua’s president has angered Argentina, which alleges the official was concerned within the 1994 bombing of a Jewish heart in Buenos Aires that killed 85 individuals.
Argentina’s International Ministry mentioned Tuesday that the looks of Mohsen Rezaei, the Iranian vp for financial affairs, on the Nicaraguan ceremony on Monday was “an affront to Argentine justice and to the victims of the brutal terrorist assault″ within the Argentine capital.
Rezaei, a former chief of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, is needed by Argentina on an Interpol “Crimson Discover” due to the assault. He and the Iranian authorities deny orchestrating it.
Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega was sworn in for a fourth consecutive time period following elections thought of rigged and on a day marked by sanctions from the US and the European Union in opposition to members of his authorities.
Iran can be beneath U.S. sanctions over its nuclear program and different points.
The Argentine authorities got here beneath criticism from the nation’s opposition as a result of Argentina’s ambassador, Daniel Capitanich, attended the inauguration of a president deemed to have trampled on human rights — and, moreover, for being on the identical occasion with Rezaei.
The Argentine authorities was not solely ″being companions with dictators and human rights violators in our area,″ but additionally performing as ″accomplices″ to an alleged organizer of the 1994 assault in Buenos Aires, mentioned Fulvio Pompeo, secretary of worldwide relations of the opposition PRO get together.
Rezaei is amongst a number of Iranians sought by Argentina within the bombing. Argentine prosecutors allege that senior Iranian officers entrusted the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah to hold it out.