Brazil allows Iranian warships to dock despite U.S. pressure

Two Iranian warships docked in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday after Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's government granted permission, despite pressure from the United States to bar them.

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

Reuters earlier this month reported that Brazil had bowed to U.S. 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 U.S. President Joe Biden.

Elsewhere in Latin America, The World Bank approved a new financing for Argentina for $450 million, the government of the heavily-indebted country said on Monday in a press release.

The organization granted a loan of $300 million over 31.5 years with a grace period of eight years to finance scholarships and stimulate the completion of secondary education.

The other $150 million, repayable in 32 years and with a 7-year grace period, is to finance infrastructure improvements in poor neighbourhoods.

President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador is holding a call later Monday with Tesla Inc. Chief Executive Elon Musk, two officials said, after the Mexican leader revealed he would be talking to the "owner" of the electric vehicle maker.

Lopez Obrador made his remark as he was finishing a regular morning news conference, without explaining precisely if he meant Musk, who is the company's largest shareholder. 

Reporting by Reuters