A file photo for Soleimanpur

TEHRAN, August 24 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) – Iranian President Mohammad Khatami demanded on Sunday, August 24, an apology from the British government over the arrest of its former ambassador to Buenos Aires at an Argentinean request, as the Iranian government announced Saturday, August 23, it was Suspending economic and cultural ties with Argentina.

The foreign ministry summoned Saturday Argentine charge d'affaires Ernesto Alvarez "to inform him of Iran's strong protest against the arrest of Iran's former ambassador to Buenos Aires Hadi Soleimanpur by British police," Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.

The head of the American affairs department at the foreign ministry, Mehdi Mohtashemi, "informed Alvarez of Iran's decision to suspend economic and cultural cooperation with Argentina," it added.

Mohtashemi reiterated Iran's position that none of its officials were involved in plotting the July 1994 bombing of the Israeli-Argentine Mutual Association building, a Jewish charities center, which killed 85 people.

"Iran totally rejects all the allegations raised against it and this is a scenario worked out by Zionist agents to mar two-way ties," Mohtashemi was quoted as saying.

The foreign ministry also summoned the British charge d'affairs, Matthew Gould, because the country's ambassador was out of the country.

Soleimanpur, 47, was arrested Thursday, August 21, by British police in northeast England and is being held in custody until late August when a London court will rule on an Argentine extradition request.

The former top foreign affairs diplomat has been in Britain on a student visa since February last year.

He had enrolled at Durham University, where he was following an environment studies course, as an "ordinary student", and did not receive a scholarship from the Iranian government.

He is one of several Iranian diplomats sought by Argentine authorities on charges they plotted the 1994 attack, and was among a group of eight for whom Argentina issued international arrest warrants earlier this month.

The Argentine government, for its part, said on Saturday that it was trying to avoid any escalation of a row between Buenos Aires and Tehran.

"We are taking it with caution," a government source said.

"We think Iran may be planning to magnify the issue, which could lead to an escalation in measures ultimately leading to a break-off of relations," the government source told private news agency NA.