Today brings a moment of somber reflection for the victims and survivors of two horrific Hizballah attacks: the 1994 bombing of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA), a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the 2012 attack on a tour bus in Burgas , Bulgaria, transports Israeli tourists. Two Hizballah attacks, carried out with the support of Iran, destroyed hundreds of families.
The deadliest single antisemitic attack in more than half a century, the AMIA bombing underscored Hizballah’s global ambitions and is a clear example of Iran’s support for international terrorism. High-level Iranian government officials were directly involved in the attack, and Hizballah carried it out in the direction of the Iranian regime. Although no one responsible for the attack has been brought to justice, the United States believes that all Argentines deserve to have those responsible accountable for this despicable and cowardly attack.
Eighteen years later, Hizballah murdered five Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian bus driver in a bomb attack in Burgas, which also injured 45 young Israelis traveling on the bus. While Bulgarian courts have convicted two Hizballah operatives in absentia in connection with the bombing, justice has yet to be served.
The United States is committed to combating the malign influence of Hizballah and Iran. The funding, training, weapons, and other support Iran provides Hizballah support complex and horrific terrorist attacks like these. The callous killing of civilians must not stand. With our support, more than a dozen countries across Europe, South America, Central America, and the Pacific have issued national-level designations, bans, or other restrictions against Hizballah. We encourage more countries to take similar measures, which make it more difficult for the group and its supporters in Tehran to threaten peace and security around the world.
