Much to the anger of Iran, Interpol announced Thursday that it was adding five Iranians to its most-wanted list, for bombing a Jewish center in Argentina in 1994, resulting in 85 fatalities. Iran voiced out accusations that the police organization, in deciding to add the four Iranians to the category of most dangerous and most hunted criminals, was bowing to the power and influence of the United States and Israel. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini gave a statement last Thursday, saying "It was expected that this professional body should not have weakened its legal character, professional position and credit by accepting the political will of the Zionist regime", which referred to Israel. Hosseinin added that the move was of defiance to fair political and judicial processes, declaring that "transferring the pressure from the Argentine government to Interpol in order to fulfill political aims is a matter of great sorrow and is contrary to international law and utterly rejected and unacceptable."
In a contrary response, the Israeli government praised Interpol's move, declaring that it sends a message to terrorists "that even if it takes time, they need to know that they will eventually be brought to book," as said by Raphael Eldad, the Israeli Ambassador to Argentina. Eldad added to say, "I hope that the arrest warrants will be carried out but I am not very optimistic as Iran is not in the habit of cooperation in this sort of affair," the Agence France-Presse added.
Hosseini announced that Iran would continue to "fight through legal channels for the rights of its citizens", and would press on to ward off the arrest warrants.