In a historic legal move three decades in the making, an Argentine federal court has ruled to try seven senior Iranian officials and three Hezbollah operatives in absentia for their roles in the 1994 bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center in Buenos Aires — the deadliest terrorist attack in Argentina’s history, which killed 85 and wounded over 300.
The decision, handed down by Judge Daniel Rafecas on June 26, marks the first time Argentina has allowed trial in absentia in such a case. The ruling follows the passage of a new law championed by President Javier Milei, enabling prosecutions of fugitives accused of crimes against humanity when extradition is not feasible.
The individuals facing trial include high-ranking Iranian regime figures such as former Intelligence Minister Ali Fallahian, ex-Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Velayati, senior IRGC commander Mohsen Rezaee, and Ahmad Vahidi, the former Quds Force commander. Also named are Iranian diplomats Hadi Soleimanpour, Mohsen Rabbani, and Ahmad Reza Asghari, all of whom held posts at the regime’s embassy in Buenos Aires in the early 1990s. Three Lebanese nationals, all Hezbollah operatives, Rauf Salman, Abdullah Salman and Hussein Munir, allegedly coordinated and executed the bombing.
#Iran News in Brief Miguel Ángel Toma, the former Minister of National Intelligence of #Argentina, highlighted that Alberto #Nisman, the prosecutor of the AMIA bombing case, was murdered by the regime in Iran. https://t.co/jdHd6nHeZO pic.twitter.com/EEaDOjOmnx
— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) April 22, 2023
The former Iranian president Ali-Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani, long believed to have authorized the attack, was removed from the list due to his death in 2017.
The case, long marred by corruption, political interference, and delays, is now receiving renewed momentum from newly declassified intelligence, notably the Toma Report. Compiled by former Argentine intelligence chief Miguel Ángel Toma, the report confirms that the attack was orchestrated by Iran’s regime through its Hezbollah proxy. It details a vast intelligence network operating out of Iranian embassies across Latin America.
The AMIA case has become symbolic of the perils of appeasing Tehran. Prosecutor Alberto Nisman, who led the investigation and exposed the Iranian regime’s role, was found dead in 2015 under suspicious circumstances shortly after accusing then-President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner of conspiring to cover up Tehran’s involvement. She now faces trial over a 2013 memorandum of understanding with Iran that critics say was designed to obstruct justice.
#Nisman is a martyr for peace and humanity and not just a martyr of the Argentinean people#Iran pic.twitter.com/hstAbPWHAk
— Maryam Rajavi (@Maryam_Rajavi) January 29, 2015
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights has condemned the Argentine government for failing to prevent the attack and for systematically covering it up. The court found the state responsible for both the bombing and the subsequent derailment of the investigation.
The Iranian Resistance, which first revealed the Iranian regime’s role in the AMIA attack back in 1994, welcomed the court’s decision. The group emphasized that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei should top the list of those held accountable, citing his direct authority over the IRGC and intelligence agencies. The NCRI reiterated calls for a firm international stance toward Tehran’s global terrorist apparatus, warning that appeasement has only emboldened the regime to continue targeting civilians worldwide.
In light of this ruling, new questions are also being raised about the regime’s current conduct. Top regime officials in Tehran — while denying wrongdoing in the AMIA case — continue to issue defiant rhetoric.
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For more than four decades, the clerical regime in #Iran has consistently blackmailed other nations and considered #extremism as "leverage". 1/9https://t.co/ieaaOkZb6y pic.twitter.com/W9u5BJHXqs— NCRI-FAC (@iran_policy) September 6, 2022
In light of this ruling, new questions are being raised about the Iranian regime’s long history of extraterritorial violence and lack of accountability. While Tehran has long denied involvement in the 1994 AMIA bombing, it has refused to cooperate with international arrest warrants or extradition requests. The regime’s silence following the Argentine court’s landmark decision to proceed with a trial in absentia has been telling. None of the accused—many of whom still occupy senior or symbolic positions—have issued any official comment.
Following Israeli strikes on June 12, 2025, which killed several senior IRGC Quds Force officials—including the IRGC commander-in-chief Hossein Salami— Khamenei appointed former Quds Force chief Ahmad Vahidi as the new IRGC head. However, Vahidi was abruptly removed within hours, with the regime offering no explanation. The sudden reversal has fueled speculation, particularly given that Vahidi has long been wanted by Interpol for his alleged role in the 1994 AMIA bombing in Argentina.