Despite pressure from the US, the Brazilian administration of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva allowed two Iranian warships to dock in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday.
According to a statement from Rio’s port administration, the IRIS Makran and IRIS Dena warships both arrived on Sunday morning.
As Lula visited the US to meet with Joe Biden, British news agency Reuters earlier this month reported that Brazil had given in to American pressure and turned down Iran’s request for the ships to land in Rio in late January.
But now that Lula’s journey is over, the ships are free to land. According to a notice published in the official gazette on February 23, Vice Admiral Carlos Eduardo Horta Arentz, the deputy commander of the Brazilian Navy, gave his permission for the ships to dock in Rio between February 26 and March 4.
A foreign vessel may only dock in Brazil with permission from the Brazilian Navy, which also takes into consideration the logistics and petition from the requesting embassy. Permission finally granted by the foreign ministry.
While attempting to forge closer ties with Lula’s government, he took office on January 1, the United States continues to be miffed by the Iranian warships’ presence on Brazilian shores.
US Ambassador Elizabeth Bagley pleaded with Brazil not to permit the ships to dock during a news conference on February 15.
“In the past, those ships facilitated illegal trade and terrorist activities, and have also been sanctioned by the United States. Brazil is a sovereign nation, but we firmly believe those ships should not dock anywhere,” she said.
One of Lula’s efforts to improve Brazil’s international status during his previous presidential terms was diplomacy with Iran. In an effort to mediate a nuclear agreement between Iran and the United States, he went to Tehran to speak with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2010.
