Brazil says warned local firms about US sanctions on Iran
Eyeing closer ties with the US, Brazil says it has alerted local firms about possible consequences if they do not comply with unilateral American sanctions against Iran.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday was asked about a recent report on the refusal of state oil company Petrobras to supply two Iranian ships with fuel off the Latin American country's coast.
“There is this problem, the US unilaterally imposed these sanctions on Iran. Brazilian companies have been informed by us about this situation and are running a risk there,” he said.
On Thursday, Reuters said two Iranian vessels, Bavand and Termeh, which were expected to carry Brazilian corn, had been stranded for weeks at the port of Paranagua because Petrobras had refused to sell them fuel.
The oil giant claimed in a statement on Friday that the ships, owned by Iranian company Sapid Shipping Co, appeared on a list of US sanctions.
It said there were other fuel companies that could supply the Iranian ships, which had brought urea to Brazil.
However, Reuters quoted an unnamed shipping industry source as saying that Petrobras had an effective monopoly on refueling services at Brazilian ports.
On Saturday, Reuters said two more Iranian bulk carriers, which came to Brazil carrying urea and were set to return home with corn, could be left without enough fuel.
It said that Panamax-type vessels MV Delruba and Ganj are currently located near the port of Imbituba in southern Brazil.
The report also named a fifth Iranian vessel, called Daryabar, adding that it had managed to secure fuel and leave Brazil.
Under President Donald Trump, the US has initiated a campaign of “maximum pressure” against Iran, pulling out of a 2015 nuclear deal and re-imposing sanctions against Tehran, notably targeting its energy sector.
Bolsonaro said he was working to forge a very close relationship with the Trump administration, claiming that it was in Brazil’s national interest.
“I, particularly, am getting close to Trump, I was received twice by him. It is the No. 1 economy in the world, our second-largest market, and now Brazil has its arms open to do deals and partnerships,” he said.
In May, Washington ended exemptions from sanctions for the eight main buyers of Iranian crude.
The Trump administration has been trying to coerce other countries to join its anti-Iran pressure campaign.
In April, Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei emphasized that Iran would export “as much crude as it needs and wishes” in defiance of American sanctions.
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