The US government sees the presence of two Iranian warships in the port of Rio de Janeiro as a provocation. The Americans communicated to the Brazilian government that it would not be possible to hold the meeting of presidents Joe Biden and Lula, on the 10th, at the same time that the helicopter carrier and frigate entered Brazilian maritime space.
The phrase of an American official was: “It’s a shot in the foot”. Lula then postponed the authorization.
Members of the American government do not see how the presence of the ships can serve Brazilian interests. Hence the fear that the Lula government’s objective is to provoke an American reaction.
The South Atlantic is one of the only regions on the globe where the US does not feel the need to carry out naval deployment, as it considers that there are no real threats. Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua etc. do not fall under this level of concern.
The presence of Iranian ships has already led to a statement by Republican Senator Ted Cruz in favor of studying whether it is the case to adopt sanctions against Brazilian entities associated with this episode, such as the Port of Rio de Janeiro and the Brazilian Navy, which authorized the docking.
the anchor of CNN Daniela Lima learned that former president Jair Bolsonaro will raise the issue in his speech this Saturday at CPAC, the conservative republican fundraising conference, which will be attended by former president Donald Trump.
Bolsonaro would have plans to accuse the Lula government of supporting terrorism. Iran is on the US State Department’s list of countries that sponsor terrorism. Earlier this week, Israel’s Minister of Strategic Affairs and National Security Adviser will be in Washington to discuss the response to the threat posed by the fact that Iran could be close to making its first nuclear bombs.
In the face of all this context, the Biden government may be pressured to adopt measures in response to the presence of Iranian ships. With elections looming next year, all Biden doesn’t want is to be seen as “weak on Iran”, he who is already condemned by Republicans for being “soft on China”.
One hypothesis put forward in Washington is that the final objective of the current Brazilian government was this: to provoke the mobilization of the US Navy in the South Atlantic, as “proof” of “American imperialism”. This is not a categorical reading, but a fear.
Biden’s current team for foreign affairs, defense and national security is the same that served in the Barack Obama government, of which Biden was vice, and that lived with the Lula government, including the then chancellor and now special advisor Celso Amorim. These officials lived through what was described to me as “the trauma” of Lula’s initiative for a nuclear deal with Iran.
In May 2010, Lula joined the Turkish autocrat, Reccep Tayyip Erdogan, and the then nationalist and populist Iranian president, Mahmud Ahmadinejad, to present a proposed solution to the Iranian nuclear crisis that did not contemplate the concerns of the West.
The agreement stipulated that Iran would deliver 1,200 kg of previously low-enriched uranium to Turkey. In exchange, it would receive 120 kg of 20% enriched uranium for medical purposes. It was not clear how much low-enriched uranium was left for Iran.
Lula and his partners argued that the agreement was based on a proposal by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). However, when the IAEA drafted the proposal in October 2009, the 1,200 kg represented two-thirds of Iran’s low-enriched uranium.
By May, it could already be half. But it wasn’t known for sure. And Iran would continue to enrich uranium up to 20%. This would violate UN (United Nations) resolutions.
The IAEA’s proposal was for Iran to deliver 1,200 kg to France or Russia, two countries at the time considered reliable; Turkey did not have the same credibility, because the Erdogan government opened loopholes for Iran to break the trade sanctions against it.
The issue of Iranian ships adds to the way in which the Lula government has projected itself on the subject of the war in Ukraine. In principle, Americans and Europeans would very much like Brazil to play a productive role.
After all, the country is currently part of the UN Security Council and, as a member of the Brics, could establish a dialogue with China and Russia that Americans and Europeans would hardly be able to achieve.
However, Lula’s declarations that “Brazil is a country that loves peace”, with variations, offend Americans and Europeans, as if they wanted war. Lula’s position was described to me as “amateurish”, because he ignores that, if it weren’t for the West’s support for Ukraine, it would be part of Russia today, and Vladimir Putin would be busy planning new invasions.
Americans regret the Brazilian attitudes, but they are not surprised, because they know Lula and Celso Amorim. Europeans are disappointed. Especially French President Emmanuel Macron, who detests Jair Bolsonaro and believed that Lula’s election would open the door to close cooperation. This is still true in the case of the Amazon, but not, for example, in Ukraine.
When Macron tweeted, a month ago, that the basis for negotiating peace was Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s 10-point plan, and tagged Lula in the tweet, he was sending a message: the plan provides for the total withdrawal of Russian troops from the territory. of Ukraine, Russia’s recognition of Ukrainian sovereignty and the creation of an international tribunal to try Russian war crimes.
In contrast, the Brazilian government proposes a cessation of hostilities “without preconditions”. This was already done in 2014 and 2015, with the Minsk Accords, which served as an incentive for Putin to invade again, and try to take over all of Ukraine.
In view of all this, the assessment in the West is that Brazil is wasting an opportunity to have an interesting international role, and tends to be seen as an ally of China and Russia. On his visit to Beijing at the end of the month, Lula could confirm or dispel these fears. To undo, I would need to change my attitude a lot.
Source: CNN Brasil
Bruce Belcher is a seasoned author with over 5 years of experience in world news. He writes for online news websites and provides in-depth analysis on the world stock market. Bruce is known for his insightful perspectives and commitment to keeping the public informed.
