“This was an important step forward for the international community, a victory for President (Barack) Obama and Secretary of State (Hillary) Clinton, and for all countries preoccupied about the proliferation of nuclear weapons,” Tom Shannon told reporters in Sao Paulo.
Shannon, who was speaking after giving a speech at Brazil’s trade federation Fecomercio, was a senior State Department official who also served as special assistant to the US president on the US national security council 2003-2005.
Asked by AFP whether the United States had alienated Brazil and Turkey — two nations strategic in their respective regions — in the push for the UN resolution, Shannon downplayed their votes opposing the sanctions.
The resolution, he pointed out, “was backed by 12 countries” on the UN Security Council. The only other nation that did not support the text was Lebanon, which abstained.
In his speech, Shannon said he believed Washington and Brasilia would “manage their differences” over Iran so other aspects of their ties were not affected.
The ambassador acknowledged Brazil and Turkey’s efforts to stave off the sanctions by coming up with a deal with Iran last month to exchange some of its nuclear fuel — a deal rejected by the United States.
But he said a carrot-and-stick approach was needed to bring Iran back to substantive talks.
“Our aim continues to be to pressure Iran and interrupt its nuclear program,” he said.
He also said: “Unfortunately… Iran said the UN resolution was ‘worthless’. For a UN Security Council member to hear this resolution has no value is a worry.”
