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Argentina slams prosecutor who accused president of granting impunity to Iran bombing suspects

Associated Press
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Argentina's Foreign Minister Hector Timmerman shows a letter that he said was sent in 2013 to Interpol's Secretary General Ronald Noble informing him of the agreement reached with Iran's government to investigate the 1994 bombing of the Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association that killed 85 people, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015. Argentine prosecutor Alberto Nisman accused President Cristina Fernandez of reaching a secret deal with Iran to avoid punishing those responsible. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) (The Associated Press)

Argentina's Foreign Minister Hector Timmerman pauses while delivering a statement to the press in which he called Argentine prosecutor Alberto Nisman a liar and ineffective, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015. Nisman, who is investigating the 1994 bombing of the Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association community center, accused President Cristina Fernandez of reaching a deal with Iran to avoid punishing those responsible. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) (The Associated Press)

Argentina's Foreign Minister Hector Timmerman pauses while delivering a statement to the press in which he called Argentine prosecutor Alberto Nisman a liar and ineffective, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015. Nisman, who is investigating the 1994 bombing of the Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association community center, accused President Cristina Fernandez of reaching a deal with Iran to avoid punishing those responsible. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd) (The Associated Press)

Argentina's government is calling a leading prosecutor a liar for accusing President Cristina Fernandez of secretly negotiating with Iran to avoid punishing those responsible for the country's worst terrorist attack.

Prosecutor Alberto Nisman on Wednesday asked a judge to call Fernandez and Foreign Minister Hector Timerman in for questioning about the 1994 bombing of the Argentine-Israeli Mutual Association in Buenos Aires.

On Thursday, Timerman called the prosecutor's accusations "despicable." He said in a statement that Fernandez has made great strides toward solving the bombing that killed 85 people.

In 2013, Nisman released an indictment accusing Iran and Hezbollah of organizing the blast. Iran denied the charge.

Argentina and Iran later reached an agreement to investigate the attack.

A judge must now decide whether anyone should be summoned.