Brazil has decided to scale back its cooperation with Iran on developing the latter's nuclear program. Speaking Monday evening, Brazil's Foreign Minister, Celso Amorim, said that his country was concerned over its involvement in the program, after the UN Security Council imposed a fourth round of sanctions on Tehran. "We will help whenever we can, but of course there is a limit to where we can go” with Iran's program, said Amorim.
'We will help whenever we can, but of course there is a limit to where we can go' with Iran's program, said Brazil's Foreign Minister.
Brazil's change of heart comes just a month after the two countries, along with Turkey, hammered out an agreement in which Brazil would exchange nuclear fuel for Iran's uranium. Amorim said that although one of the purposes of the deal had been to assuage the West's concern over Iran's nuclear program, that plan was untenable from the beginning.
“On the same day that the agreement was produced, before it had even been analyzed, the immediate response was the request for a [UN] resolution” on sanctions, Amorim said. US officials responded to the announcement by saying that it was “appropriate” for Brazil to drop out of the program.
Meanwhile, Tehran said Monday that it was banning two UN nuclear inspectors from entering the country for “leaking false information” on the country's nuclear program. The inspectors had stated that Iran carried out several uranium purification experiments, which Tehran denies carrying out. Iran called an IAEA report on the matter “false with the purpose of influencing public opinion.”
'We will help whenever we can, but of course there is a limit to where we can go' with Iran's program, said Brazil's Foreign Minister.Brazil's change of heart comes just a month after the two countries, along with Turkey, hammered out an agreement in which Brazil would exchange nuclear fuel for Iran's uranium. Amorim said that although one of the purposes of the deal had been to assuage the West's concern over Iran's nuclear program, that plan was untenable from the beginning.
“On the same day that the agreement was produced, before it had even been analyzed, the immediate response was the request for a [UN] resolution” on sanctions, Amorim said. US officials responded to the announcement by saying that it was “appropriate” for Brazil to drop out of the program.
Meanwhile, Tehran said Monday that it was banning two UN nuclear inspectors from entering the country for “leaking false information” on the country's nuclear program. The inspectors had stated that Iran carried out several uranium purification experiments, which Tehran denies carrying out. Iran called an IAEA report on the matter “false with the purpose of influencing public opinion.”