In a historic move, Argentina’s special prosecutor for the AMIA case has requested an international arrest warrant for Iran regime’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei.
On April 10, 2025, Clarín reported that Sebastián Basso, the federal prosecutor leading the investigation into the 1994 AMIA bombing in Buenos Aires, has asked federal judge Daniel Rafecas to issue national and international arrest warrants for Khamenei. This unprecedented demand marks a significant departure from previous prosecutorial positions, which had avoided implicating Iran’s highest authority due to presumed immunity under international law.
The bombing of the AMIA Jewish community center on July 18, 1994, killed 85 people and injured hundreds more. It remains the deadliest terrorist attack in Argentine history and has long been tied to Iran’s regime and Hezbollah, according to Argentine intelligence and international investigations.
Basso, who took over the case following the suspicious death of his predecessor, Alberto Nisman, has now gone further than any prosecutor before him. He alleges that Khamenei not only authorized the bombing via a fatwa (religious decree), but that he also continues to sponsor militant groups like Hezbollah, which are implicated in terrorist activities worldwide.
According to the Clarín report, Basso’s resolution highlights Khamenei’s absolute control over Iran’s political, judicial, and military institutions, noting that all foreign policy and use-of-force decisions are constitutionally under his purview. The prosecutor specifically cited Article 110 of the Iranian Constitution, which defines the Supreme Leader’s vast powers, including authority over the armed forces, judiciary, and key appointments.
Furthermore, Basso dismissed the longstanding argument of head-of-state immunity, citing international legal precedent and Article 27 of the Rome Statute, which holds that no immunity applies before the International Criminal Court. He argued that crimes against humanity—such as the AMIA bombing—override sovereign protections, especially when committed on foreign soil.
The prosecutor is also pushing for trials in absentia for the remaining Iranian and Lebanese suspects, a controversial legal mechanism rarely used in Argentina. He requested that Interpol be officially notified and prepared to act should Khamenei or any other accused individual travel to a country with an extradition treaty.
This move comes amid already fragile relations between Argentina and Iran, which have only maintained diplomatic ties at the chargé d’affaires level since the attack. If Rafecas accepts the request and Interpol complies, it could deepen tensions further and put international law and diplomatic norms to a dramatic test.
Basso’s demand signals a reinvigorated effort to pursue justice in a case that has remained unresolved for over three decades. Whether or not the Argentine judiciary and international bodies act on it, his request has thrust the AMIA case—and Khamenei’s alleged role—back into the global spotlight.
Source: Clarin, April 10, 2025.
