Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Wednesday slammed the new UN sanctions on Tehran over its suspect nuclear program as coming at a great cost to the imposers.

Describing the move as a "Pyrrhic victory," a success that comes with a massive burden to the victors, Lula told reporters that the move "weakened the UN Security Council."

Lula lamented that the make-up of the Security Council had not changed since its creation in 1948, and said it needs to be reformed to include members from Latin America and Asia. Brazil is currently one of the Council's rotating members.

A fourth set of punitive measures approved Wednesday on Iran is aimed at persuading the Islamic republic to curb its suspect nuclear program by widening military and financial sanctions.

Brazil joined Turkey in voting against the measure, however, after the two country's efforts to head off the measure by promoting a nuclear fuel swap deal they reached with Tehran last month.

"I sincerely hopes that (Iranian President Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad remains calm," Lula told a press conference in Natal, northeastern Brazil.

"I talked a lot with the prime minister of Turkey (Recep Tayyip Erdogan) and decided to vote against (the sanctions) because we have our name on an agreement," he added.

"Brazil and Turkey did what the countries of the UN Council failed to do: take Iran to the negotiating table."

In Washington meanwhile Wednesday, State Department spokesman Philip Crowley insisted the United States still plans to work with Brazil and Turkey on the issue despite the adoption of sanctions.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, speaking on a visit to Bogota, said the United States still wants Tehran back at the negotiating table, adding that "whether they come back with the P5-plus-1 or in some other configuration is yet to be determined."

The P5-plus-1 refers to the permanent five UN Security Council members -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France -- plus Germany, which have led the negotiations with Iran over the last few years.

earlier related report
Turkey 'worried' by UN sanctions, vows to pursue diplomacy
Ankara (AFP) June 9, 2010 - Turkey vowed Wednesday to press on with efforts for a diplomatic resolution of the crisis over Iran's nuclear programme despite a UN sanction decision which it said hurt the chances of a peaceful settlement.

Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said a nuclear fuel swap deal struck with Iran last month was "not dead" and added that Ankara would now push the deal on in order to give momentum to negotiations between the West and Tehran.

The United States said it would still work with Turkey and Brazil -- the architects of the swap deal who voted against the sanctions -- while at the same time implementing the UN Security Council decision.

The 15-member Council Wednesday slapped a fourth round of sanctions on Iran, introducing broader military and financial measures over its suspect atomic programme.

Turkey and Brazil, two non-permanent members of the 15-member Council, voted against, while Lebanon abstained.

"Turkey is worried that the UN Security Council's decision ... will hurt diplomatic efforts and the window of opportunity for a peaceful settlement of the issue on Iran's nuclear programme," a foreign ministry statement said.

It urged Iran not to stray from the diplomatic path.

"We expect Iran to stay loyal to the (swap deal), remain committed to a diplomatic solution and to work towards eliminating doubts over its nuclear programme by fulfilling its international obligations," it said.

Davutoglu said his country had cast a "no" vote in order to keep the diplomatic path open and give the swap deal a chance.

"We wanted to have an atmosphere in which negotiations can be conducted after this decision...Our vote has enabled the (swap deal) to stay on the table," Davutoglu told Kanal 24 television Wednesday.

"It was not possible for us to support the sanctions as if they were a good step...or to brush the (swap deal) aside and abstain," he added. "The deal is not dead."

He denied that Turkey's position showed a shift in the country's pro-Western orientation towards the East or that it would strain ties with Washington.

"The vote we cast does not mean that we have preferred Iran over the West and the United States...It is not true that we are fallen against the rest of the world," the minister said.

Turkey's vote "was not a surprise (for the United States). Our position was well-known by all," he added.

Speaking to reporters in Washington, State Department spokesman Philip Crowley said the United States "will continue to work with Turkey, Brazil and other countries" even though there has been "disagreement over specific tactics".

The fuel swap deal signed in Tehran in May commits Iran to ship 1,200 kilograms (2,640 pounds) of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey in return for high-enriched uranium fuel for a Tehran reactor

The United States and other world powers have given a cool reaction to the deal, saying it did not go far enough to allay fears that Tehran is using its atomic drive as a cover for a nuclear weapons programme.

Diplomats at the International Atomic Energy Agency said Wednesday that the so-called Vienna Group -- France, Russia and the United States -- handed their response to Iran's proposals on the swap deal, expressing reservations but saying they were ready to talk if Iran cleared up a number of questions.