TEHRAN, 1 March 2004 — Iran’s President Mohammad Khatami has refused to meet his Argentine counterpart until Buenos Aires apologizes for accusing Iran of involvement in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish center that killed 85 people.
An Iranian Foreign Ministry official told Reuters yesterday President Nestor Kirchner had requested a meeting with Khatami during a two-day Group of 15 summit meeting of developing countries in Venezuela on Friday and Saturday.
“Khatami refused to receive the Argentinean president,” the official said. Argentine prosecutors have requested the extradition of eight Iranians in connection with the attack, including Iran’s ambassador to Argentina at the time of the bombing, Hadi Soleimanpour.
Meanwhile, one of Iran’s main reformist parties ousted from Parliament in controversial elections has lashed out at hard-liners, saying victorious conservatives only enjoyed the support of a small percentage of the electorate.
