Five days ago, Brazil refused to join the U.S along with its allies in pushing yet another set of sanctions on Iran as the Middle Eastern country is still pursuing the goal of achieving nuclear status. As the U.S government is seeking more international support for sanctions against Iran, it had been rejected by the Brazilian government which is a member of the U.N Security Council. Pushing aside the notion of sanctions, Brazil insists that Iran can still be persuaded through negotiation. Arguing to no avail, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton said that Iran will not negotiate over this nuclear program issue unless harsh sanctions are implemented.

So far the U.N and European Union sanctions still in place on Iran concentrates on the “choking” of Iranian economy, mostly banking, shipping, and trade. However, with the Iranian uranium enrichment nearly seventy-percent away from the needed level (90%) to make nuclear weapons, the new sanctions that the U.S introduced to Brazil for its support strangles the economy. Travel bans, freezing of assets, trade bans, and even more harsher sanctions were proposed in this fourth set of international sanctioning. It is unfortunate that Brazil did not support the sanctions on Iran, this recent action in their foreign relationship with the U.S is indeed puzzling when it could have just been supportive on such a dangerous issue. The Brazilian Foreign Minister Amorim stated that Brazil had a will of its own despite U.S urging of the new sanctions, perhaps the country wanted to avoid looking like a younger, political sibling in front of the other countries. Furthermore, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva stated that negotiations should be used instead of pressuring Iran into a corner.

With Brazil refusing support for sanctions against Iran, the U.S met with the Chinese government. Yet Iran with diplomacy sucked up to China, or rather lobbied China against such sanctions. “China is a great country which enjoys enough power to pursue its own decisions and foreign policies independently without being pressured by America”, said Ramin Mehranparast. While Iran has continually claimed that the uranium enrichments were for peaceful and civilian purposes, it is very doubtful that the country who takes stances of abnormal hate and prejudice towards other nations in both the Middle East and elsewhere in the world has peaceful intentions in mind with an armful of enriched uranium.

China took a position similar to that of Brazil: Negotiations might work, except the Asian government is suspected for taking such a position due to its closeness with Iran in terms of its economic trade with the country. The government of China as of this moment is backing Iran when they’re saying that this issue should be resolved peacefully despite the current situation, ultimately giving Iran more time. It is very unclear at this time if China will support the sanctions later or not as it stated that the new sanctions would not solve the nuclear issue.

A S-300 missile, Russia promised to withold shipments of these missiles to Iran but has not specifically stated that it will support the new sanctions agaisnt Iran.

Russia also stated that this nuclear issue can be solved with negotiation, but the Russian government agreed to cancel shipments of air-defense, S-300 missiles to the country of Iran for the time being, showing a hopeful sign that the European country may be edging towards the approval of the sanctions as it observes Iran’s uranium enrichment program.

Russia, China, and Brazil are all U.N Security Council members (Brazil being a temporary Security member).

- Authored By: Gordon Aldridge