JAKARTA - Israel on Thursday criticized Brazil's decision to give anchoring to two Iranian warships amid pressure from the United States, urging President Luiz Inacio's government Lula da Silva to expel them.
The ships docked in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday. Reuters reported that Brazil had refused to accept them in January, in a sign of goodwill from Lula as he flew to Washington to meet US President Joe Biden.
Lior Haiat, a spokesman for Israel's Foreign Ministry, called the anchoring of Brazilian warships a dangerous and regrettable development and accused the Iranian navy of cooperating with sanctioned entities in Tehran.
"It's still not too late to order the ships to leave the port", Haiat said on Twitter.
Separately, President Lula's press office did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The ships also caused tension with the United States. In a press conference on February 15, the US Ambassador to Brazil urged the ships not to dock.
On Wednesday, Senator Ted Cruz called for sanctions against the South American country after the ships docked, calling it a "direct threat to the safety and security of American citizens."
"The Biden administration is obliged to impose relevant sanctions, re-evaluate Brazil's cooperation with US anti-terrorism efforts, and re-examine whether Brazil retains effective anti-terrorism measures in its ports", the Republican politician said in a statement. a statement.
As previously reported, Rio Port authorities said in a statement that the warships IRIS 441 Makran and IRIS 75 Dena both arrived on Sunday morning.
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The notice on February 23 on the Brazilian state sheet said the warships had been granted permission to dock between February 26 and March 4.
Diplomacy with Iran is one of the most interesting things President Lula has made to improve Brazil's international position during his presidency. He went to Tehran to meet with President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2010, as he sought to mediate a nuclear deal between Iran and the United States.
Israel and Iran have been caught up in a Cold War-style conflict for decades, which includes accusing each other of maritime sabotage, even as Tehran faces growing global pressure over its nuclear program and regional behaviour.
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