Iranian warships dock in Rio despite US pressure
Two Iranian warships docked in Rio de Janeiro after Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government granted permission despite pressure from the United States to bar them.
The IRIS Makran and IRIS Dena warships both arrived on Sunday morning, Rio's port authority said in a statement, according to Reuters.
Vice Admiral Carlos Eduardo Horta Arentz, the deputy chief of Brazil's Naval Staff, gave his approval for the ships to dock in Rio between Feb. 26 and March 4, according to a Feb. 23 notice in the official gazette.
The Brazilian Navy authorizes a foreign vessel to dock in Brazil, but only after authorization from the Foreign Ministry, which takes into account the requesting embassy's petition and logistics.
On January 28, Rear Admiral Hamzeh Ali Kaviani, the Iranian Navy's second-in-command, had said that the vessels were sailing along Latin America's western shores and were to drop anchor in Rio within a few days.
The presence of the Iranian warships on Brazilian shores continues to irk the United States as it seeks to build closer ties with Lula's administration, which came into office on Jan. 1.
In a Feb. 15 press conference, U.S. Ambassador Elizabeth Bagley urged Brazil not to allow the ships to dock.
Brazil had initially delayed docking of the ships as the country's president was flying to Washington to meet with US President Joe Biden.