Brazil

Abstract

For Brazil, reacting to Iran’s nuclear program provided a welcome opportunity to bolster its own international standing. The dispute came at the time when President Lula and Foreign Minister Amorim were aiming to improve Brazil’s international standing and hoped to gain a permanent seat in the UN Security Council for the country. However, for Brazil, another issue was at stake: as a late-comer to the global non-proliferation regime, Brazil had its reservations about the direction the regime had been taking. Western reaction to Iran’s program posed another risk to what Brazil sees as the inherent rights of states to peaceful nuclear energy.

Brazil’s reaction was cautious until 2009, when (together with Turkey) it tried to negotiate a deal to resolve the dispute. The initiative proved divisive within Brazil and its ultimate failure cost Brazil domestically (in the form of severe criticism) and internationally (questioning of Brazil’s intention and deterioration of relations with Western countries).