Argentina: Authorities arrest an Iranian who tried to enter the AMIA facilities to take photographs

The Argentine Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) reported that authorities detained a suspicious man of Iranian nationality who was walking around its facilities, which replace the building blown up by an Iranian bomb in 1994. When approached by security personnel, the subject asked to enter the facilities to take photographs.

"The institution reports that in the afternoon a person approached the headquarters of Pasteur 633 expressing his intention to enter the building to see the place and take photographs. AMIA Security personnel made the decision not to allow access," AMIA wrote on its X (formerly Twitter) account.

The organization explained that the authorities are investigating the case and have asked the community to remain calm. "From that moment on, the corresponding authorities are carrying out all the inquiries they consider necessary to verify the information provided by this individual and define the course of action," indicated the Argentine Israelite Mutual Association.

Local media, such as La Nación, indicated that the police report detailed that the man supposedly claimed to be a sheriff of a county near Los Angeles.

Meanwhile, organizations such as Action and Communication on the Middle East (ACOM), indicated that the man was allegedly carrying a false identification and did not have a visa entry stamp into the country. "An Iranian with a false passport and no entry record in Argentina detained after trying to enter the AMIA building. Iran is an exporter of terrorism. It has no limits," ACOM highlighted.

The Secretary of Public Affairs of the city of Buenos Aires, Waldo Wolff, also spoke about the case and questioned how the man entered Argentina without a review by the authorities. "How did he enter the country? Who authorized your entry? Once again all alerts have failed. Friendly relations and neutral positions with those who attacked institutions of the Jewish community in Argentina are never harmless," said Wolff.

"A disaster"

Similar were the comments made by Laura Alonso, who was a national deputy and head of the Anti-Corruption Office during the Government of Mauricio Macri. Alonso described the situation as a disaster: "An Iranian with an American passport detained in the vicinity of the AMIA 'without' an entry stamp into Argentina. Where did you enter? What a mess," he questioned on X's account.

The fact raises concern because AMIA was the target of one of the most devastating terrorist attacks in Argentina. On July 18, 1994, the association suffered a suicide attack when a van loaded with bombs was driven towards the AMIA building and subsequently detonated. The explosion killed 85 people and injured more than 300.