Defying the US, Brazil allows Iranian Navy ships to dock in Rio
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Rio de Janeiro's port authority confirms that two Iranian warships both docked on Sunday morning.
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Iranian military ship Iris Makran navigates on the coast of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Feb. 27, 2023 (Reuters)
Despite United States pressure to have them barred, two Iranian warships on Sunday docked in Rio de Janeiro after Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government granted permission, Reuters reported.
In mid-February, US Ambassador Elizabeth Bagley urged Brazil in a press conference not to allow the two Iranian warships to dock.
"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," Bagley claimed.
In a statement, Rio de Janeiro's port authority confirmed that the two warships -- the IRIS Makran and IRIS Dena -- both arrived on Sunday morning.
Earlier this month, Reuters claimed that Brazil had succumbed to US pressure and declined Iran's request for the vessels to dock in Rio in late January, in a move by Lula as he visited Washington to meet with US President Joe Biden.
According to a February 23 notice in the official gazette, Vice Admiral Carlos Eduardo Horta Arentz, the deputy chief of Brazil's Naval Staff, gave his approval for the two Iranian warships to dock in Rio between February 26 and March 4.
Dana ship and Makran ship docked in Rio de Janeiro #Brazil 🇧🇷
— MilitaryNews (@MilitaryNewsomg) February 27, 2023
Two #Iranian warships docked in the port of Rio de Janeiro on Sunday after the Brazilian government granted them permission despite pressure from the US government, pic.twitter.com/xsk8I5zkmM
In early February, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told the Washington Free Beacon that his country is closely monitoring Iran's activity in the Panama Canal.
Washington is monitoring "Iran's attempts to have a military presence in the Western Hemisphere," Price said.
For the Brazilian Navy to authorize a foreign vessel to dock in the country, it needs to receive authorization from the Brazilian foreign ministry, Reuters indicated.
It is noteworthy that in January, the commander of Iran's navy, Rear Admiral Shahram Irani, confirmed that Iranian forces will establish a presence in the Panama Canal later this year, marking the first time Iran's military has reached the Pacific Ocean.
This comes as Iran has been cementing ties with Latin American countries in recent years within the framework of the country's development roadmap.
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