New Brazil administration welcomes Iranian warships to shore

Recently inaugurated President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva allowed two warships from the Islamic Republic of Iran to dock on Rio de Janeiro’s coast Sunday.

Lula had previously denied Iran permission to dock in January when he flew to Washington following his inauguration. But now that his trip is over, Brazil’s Vice Admiral Carlos Eduardo Horta Arentz has given the Iranian ships permission to stay from February 26 to March 4.

The US criticized the move that has brought Iran’s Navy close to America’s shores. U.S. Ambassador Elizabeth Bagley said that the IRIS Makran and IRIS Dena warships have “facilitated terrorism,” reported Reuters.

"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.

Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) noted that any entities involved with the Iranian warships may now be subject to sanctions.

“The docking of Iranian warships in Brazil is a dangerous development and a direct threat to the safety and security of Americans,” Cruz said. “These Iranian warships are already sanctioned, and so the port in Rio de Janeiro where they docked is now at risk of crippling sanctions, as are any Brazilian companies that provided them services or accepted payments—and so are all foreign companies that entangle themselves with the port or those Brazilian companies in the future.”

“The Biden administration is obligated to impose relevant sanctions, reevaluate Brazil’s cooperation with U.S. antiterrorism efforts, and reexamine whether Brazil is maintaining effective antiterrorism measures at its ports,” Cruz added. “If the administration does not, Congress should force them to do so.”

Lula, who spent 580 days in federal prison for corruption during his last term, maintains cozy relations with totalitarian dictators around the world.

In 2010, he flew to Tehran to meet then-President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to broker a deal between the terror state and the US.

In January, Lula rescinded a policy from the previous Bolsonaro administration banning Venezuelan totalitarian dictator Nicolás Maduro from entering the country. Lula personally invited Maduro, a political ally, to attend his inauguration.

Maduro, who usurped Venezuela’s presidency in 2018, is considered an illegitimate president by over 50 countries, including the US. He is known to have led the Cartel of the Suns, a drug cartel involving Venezuelan officials and terrorist organization Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC). As Venezuela’s foreign minister, Maduro coordinated large-scale cocaine operations with Honduras and, with FARC’s assistance, commissioned the cartel’s own militia.   

In March 2020 the Trump administration officially declared Maduro wanted for narcoterrorism and offered a $15 million reward for information leading to Maduro's arrest and/or capture. Maduro’s wanted status, and the reward offer, remain in full effect.     

Lula, whose own legitimacy as president is challenged by many Brazilians, has been criticized for refusing to condemn human rights abuses in Nicaragua, Cuba and Venezuela, according to Reuters.