The Argentine Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship officially declared Mohsen Soltani Tehrani, the Iranian chargé d’affaires in Buenos Aires, persona non grata on April 2, 2026. In a formal diplomatic note delivered to the Iranian mission, the administration of President Javier Milei ordered Tehrani to depart Argentine territory within 48 hours. The expulsion follows a sharp escalation in rhetoric from Tehran, which recently issued formal accusations against Argentina regarding its alignment with the United States and Israel in the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict.
The immediate catalyst for the expulsion was a statement released by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which characterized Argentina’s foreign policy as a threat to international stability and accused the Milei administration of acting as a regional proxy for Western interests. Argentine officials described these accusations as an unacceptable interference in sovereign domestic affairs and a violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Foreign Minister Diana Mondino stated that the decision was necessary to protect national dignity and signal that Argentina would not tolerate threats or intimidation from foreign powers.
This diplomatic rupture occurs against a backdrop of long-standing hostility between the two nations. Argentina has historically sought justice for the 1992 bombing of the Israeli Embassy and the 1994 bombing of the Asociación Mutual Israelita Argentina (AMIA) community center, which killed 85 people. In April 2024, Argentina’s Court of Cassation issued a landmark ruling designating Iran as a terrorist state and labeling the AMIA attack a crime against humanity. The 2026 expulsion of Tehrani represents the most severe diplomatic sanction imposed by Buenos Aires since the withdrawal of ambassadors in the late 20th century.
Under President Milei, Argentina has undergone a radical shift in its geopolitical orientation. The administration has moved to dismantle the previous policy of neutrality or strategic autonomy favored by Peronist predecessors. Instead, Argentina has pursued a policy of unconditional alignment with the United States and Israel. This shift included the designation of Hamas as a terrorist organization in 2024 and an official application for Argentina to become a global partner of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Regional observers note that the expulsion of the Iranian chargé d’affaires further isolates Iran in the Western Hemisphere, where it has previously maintained significant ties with nations such as Venezuela and Bolivia. The Argentine government’s decision is expected to lead to a reciprocal expulsion of Argentine diplomats from Tehran, effectively severing direct diplomatic communication between the two states. The Ministry of Security has also announced increased surveillance of sensitive sites within Argentina as a precautionary measure following the announcement.