ency ▁because ▁it ▁is ▁the ▁best ▁way ▁to ▁avoid ▁san ctions ." ▁ ▁In ▁February ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁there ▁was ▁some ▁spec ulation ▁that ▁Brazil ▁could ▁have ▁been ▁involved ▁in ▁direct ▁bil ater al ▁tal ks ▁to ▁provide ▁Iran ▁with ▁weapons - grade ▁u ran ium , ▁which ▁was ▁denied ▁by ▁Brazil ian ▁Foreign ▁Minister ▁Cel so ▁Am or im . ▁Am or im ▁stated ▁that , ▁" at ▁no ▁time ▁in ▁convers ations ▁held ▁with ▁Iran ▁was ▁[ ur an ium ] ▁en rich ment ▁discussed ." ▁ ▁On ▁May ▁ 1 7 , ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁Brazil , ▁Iran ▁and ▁Turkey ▁issued ▁the ▁" Te h ran ▁N uc lear ▁Dec laration ", ▁a ▁joint ▁declaration ▁" in ▁which ▁Iran ▁agreed ▁to ▁send ▁low - en rich ed ▁u ran ium ▁to ▁Turkey ▁in ▁return ▁for ▁en rich ed ▁fuel ▁for ▁a ▁research ▁re actor ." ▁Despite ▁receiving ▁considerable ▁support ▁from ▁the ▁international ▁community , ▁the ▁proposal ▁was ▁re bu ked ▁by ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁Israel . ▁The ▁United ▁States ▁dismiss ed ▁the ▁proposal ▁and ▁announced ▁a ▁" d raft ▁accord " ▁among ▁permanent ▁Security ▁Council ▁members ▁for ▁additional ▁san ctions ▁on ▁Iran , ▁designed ▁to ▁pressure ▁it ▁to ▁end ▁its ▁nuclear ▁en rich ment ▁program . ▁Turkey ▁and ▁Brazil ▁critic ized ▁the ▁san ctions ▁proposal . ▁Brazil ' s ▁Foreign ▁Minister ▁also ▁expressed ▁fr ustration ▁with ▁the ▁U . S . ▁st ance , ▁saying ▁of ▁Brazil ' s ▁vote ▁against ▁the ▁san