Fact Check: Over 100 people died in Buenos Aires bombings linked to Iran.

Fact Check: "Over 100 people died in Buenos Aires bombings linked to Iran."

What We Know

The claim that "over 100 people died in Buenos Aires bombings linked to Iran" appears to refer to two significant terrorist attacks in Argentina: the 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy and the 1994 bombing of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) Jewish community center. The AMIA bombing, which occurred on July 18, 1994, resulted in the deaths of 85 people and injured over 300 others, making it the deadliest terrorist attack in Argentina's history (Secretary Blinken, AP News).

The Israeli Embassy bombing in 1992 killed 29 people (France 24). When combined, these two attacks resulted in a total of 114 deaths. However, the claim inaccurately implies that a single bombing caused over 100 deaths, which is not the case.

Analysis

The assertion that "over 100 people died" can be misleading without proper context. While the total deaths from both bombings exceed 100, attributing this figure to a single bombing distorts the facts. The AMIA bombing alone is responsible for 85 deaths, and the Israeli Embassy bombing accounts for 29, but they are separate incidents attributed to Iran and Hezbollah's involvement (New York Times, Wikipedia).

The reliability of the sources discussing these incidents is generally high. The Argentine Court of Cassation has officially linked Iran and Hezbollah to the AMIA bombing, stating that Iran planned the attack and Hezbollah executed it (AP News, France 24). However, the court's conclusions about Iran's direct involvement have been met with skepticism by some experts who argue that concrete evidence of direct Iranian involvement has not been conclusively demonstrated (AP News).

Conclusion

The claim that "over 100 people died in Buenos Aires bombings linked to Iran" is False. While the total fatalities from both the AMIA and Israeli Embassy bombings do exceed 100, the AMIA bombing alone resulted in 85 deaths, and it is inaccurate to attribute over 100 deaths to a single bombing incident. The distinction between the two attacks is crucial for an accurate understanding of the events.