TEHRAN The Argentine Embassy in Tehran denied reports by some foreign mass media quoting an Argentine official that Buenos Aires will break off its ties with Tehran within a few days. Agence France Presse (AFP) and Radio France reported on Tuesday quoting the Secretary for Coordination and Institutional Relations Department of the Argentine Foreign Ministry Daniel Castruccio, as saying that Buenos Aires can no longer maintain its ties with Iran. The report said, Ties between Buenos Aires and Tehran could be severed today, tomorrow, within a week or 15 days.'' In a contact with IRNA, the Argentine Embassy termed the report as incorrect, adding that Daniel Castruccio himself has rejected it.

Tehran-Buenos Aires ties were strained following unfounded charges by certain Argentine officials against Iran. After the Argentine judge, in charge of investigating the bombings at the Jewish center near the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires, implicated Tehran the Iranian Foreign Ministry warned the Argentine government that Iran would react to the unfounded charges. After the Iranian Foreign Ministry's warning, the Argentine government reduced the number of its embassy staff in Iran and asked the Iranian government to recall all but one of its diplomats from Buenos Aires. Iran consequently announced decision to scale down its economic ties with Argentina. (IRNA)