Brazil opposes new Iran sanctions

Brazil's envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency says that a new round of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program would be pointless.

Imposing more sanctions on Tehran "will only lead to a hardening of the Iranian position," Ambassador Antonio Guerreiro said on Saturday.

On Friday, Brazil abstained from the IAEA Board of Governors' vote to censure Iran over the construction of the Fordo enrichment plant.

Brazil abstained from voting because "dialogue is better than confrontation," Guerreiro, told the Brazilian daily O Globo.

The resolution by the 35-member IAEA Board of Governors, which was sponsored by Germany, calls on Iran to halt uranium enrichment and immediately freeze the construction of its Fordo nuclear facility, located near Qom.

"The resolution clears the way for sanctions ... and sanctions don't lead to anything," Guerreiro said.

The Fordo site will be Iran's second uranium enrichment plant, after the Natanz facility in central Iran, for the production of nuclear fuel enriched to a level of 5 percent.

Iran says its nuclear program is solely meant for civilian applications of the technology and has called for the total eradication of all weapons of mass destruction.

Commenting on the fact that his country took up a non-permanent seat on the 15-member UN Security Council in January for a two-year term, the Brazilian diplomat said, "We will take advantage of that to help in the negotiations" with Iran.

"No countries make concessions under pressure," he noted.

Guerreiro said that "no evidence" has been found proving that Iran is building a nuclear weapon and added that the standoff over Iran's nuclear program is the result of "a mutual lack of confidence that has already lasted for quite some time."