In a landmark ruling, Argentina's highest criminal court has declared Iran responsible for the deadly 1994 attack on a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, labeling it a "crime against humanity." The decision opens the door for victims' families to seek justice and holds the potential for lawsuits against the Islamic Republic.

The devastating blast at the Argentinian Israelite Mutual Association (AMIA) was attributed to a suicide bomber driving a stolen van filled with explosives. This act of terrorism claimed the lives of 85 people, injured 300, and left Latin America's largest Jewish community in deep mourning.

The judges, in their ruling, concluded that the Shia militant group Hezbollah carried out the bombing as part of a "political and strategic design" orchestrated by Iran. The court asserted that the attack was in retaliation for Argentina's decision to abandon a nuclear cooperation agreement with Tehran.

Representatives of Argentina's Jewish community applauded the court ruling as "historic" and "unprecedented" since it allows the relatives of the victims to file lawsuits against Iran. President Javier Milei celebrated the decision, hailing it as a "significant step" that finally brings an end to years of "delays and cover-ups."

Argentina's judiciary has long maintained Iran's involvement in the attack, but previous joint investigations and Interpol arrest warrants failed to yield concrete results. Iran has consistently refused to extradite its citizens convicted in Argentina and vehemently denied any involvement in the bombings.

Prosecutors implicated high-ranking Iranian officials and members of Hezbollah in the 1994 AMIA attack, as well as in a separate bombing in 1992 targeting the Israeli embassy in Argentina, which claimed 22 lives.

The court's ruling called attention to the need for international judicial protection against these grave human rights violations, emphasizing Argentina's duty to pursue justice. It also alluded to the figure of former prosecutor Alberto Nisman, who died in suspicious circumstances after accusing then-president Cristina Fernández de Kirchner of concealing Iran's alleged responsibility in the attack.

Despite this significant ruling, the court did not provide concrete evidence of Iran's direct involvement or shed new light on the case, which has been plagued by setbacks, scandals, and allegations of corruption. The original investigation into the AMIA bombing was marred by incompetence and allegations of witness tampering and cover-ups.

Joe Goldman, co-author of a book on the investigations into both the Jewish community center attack and the 1992 bombing of the Israeli embassy, reiterated the need for a comprehensive and thorough investigation to definitively determine Iran's culpability.

The court specifically singled out top Iranian officials and commanders from the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, citing confidential intelligence reports that implicated Iran in the bombings. The attacks were seen as a response to Argentina's termination of three contracts that would have provided Tehran with nuclear technology in the 1980s.

For the families of the victims, the court's ruling serves as a somber reminder of their enduring pain and frustration as the case remains unresolved. Activist group Memoria Activa, representing the families of those killed in the bombings, expressed their hope for complete justice and truth to prevail, urging the judges to refrain from "profiting from our dead."

As the legal battle continues, the ruling sets a significant precedent in the pursuit of justice for the victims and their families, shedding light on the dark chapter in Argentina's history and sending a powerful message against impunity.