The Iranian ship Iris Makran sails off the coast of Rio de Janeiro as a Brazilian flag flies on Copacabana beach, February 27, 2023. Photo: Reuters.
Two Iranian ships docked in Rio de Janeiro after Lula da Silva’s administration gave them the green light despite US pressure to ban them from the port.
The warships Makran and Dena arrived on Sunday morning, reported the Rio de Janeiro port authority in a statement.
Britain’s Reuters news agency reported earlier this month that Brazil had caved to US pressure and rejected Iran’s request for the ships to dock in Rio at the end of January, ahead of the Brazilian president’s trip to Washington to meet with his counterpart Joe Biden.
However, with Lula’s voyage over, the ships received approval from the Brazilian Navy to call at Rio between February 26 and March 4, according to a February 23 notice in Brazil’s official gazette.
The US embassy in Brasilia did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The presence of Iranian warships off the coast of Brazil continues to irritate the United States as it seeks to build closer ties with the Lula administration, which took office on January 1.
In a press conference on February 15, US Ambassador Elizabeth Bagley urged Brazil not to allow Iranian ships to dock.
Diplomacy with Iran was one of the highlights of Lula’s attempts to bolster Brasilia’s international standing during his previous presidential terms, and he even traveled to Tehran to meet then-President Mahmud Ahmadinejad in 2010.
The 86th Flotilla of the Iranian Army Naval Force, consisting of the warships Dena and Makran, began its mission in late September 2022 for a historic circumnavigation of the world, aimed at demonstrating the growing military power and maritime reach of the Islamic Republic.
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The Iris Makran, a military logistics ship, is the largest ship in the Iranian fleet, while the Iris Dena is a domestically-built destroyer that entered service in 2021.
After establishing three maritime commands in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans, respectively, Iran’s Navy seeks to expand its activity and presence in international waters in order to ensure the security of shipping lanes.
Iran has assured that this development follows the nation’s defensive doctrine and does not represent a threat to other countries.
(HispanTV)
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/KW/SL
