Two Iranian warships dock in Brazil's Rio in challenge to US

The IRIS Makran and IRIS Dena warships both arrived on Sunday morning, Rio's port authority said in a statement, according to Reuters.

Reuters earlier this month reported that Brazil had bowed to US pressure and declined Iran's request for the vessels to dock in Rio in late January, in a gesture from Lula as he flew to Washington to meet US President Joe Biden.

However, with Lula's trip over, the ships have been allowed to dock. Vice Admiral Carlos Eduardo Horta Arentz, the deputy chief of Brazil's Naval Staff, gave his approval for the ships to dock in Rio between Feb. 26 and March 4, according to a Feb. 23 notice in the official gazette.

MNA/PR