A senior Iranian official has criticized the United Nations Security Council for failing to pursue a unified stance on international peace and security.

“Unfortunately, the United Nations Security Council does not, under pressure from big powers, pursue a unified approach towards defending global peace and security,” Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani said in a meeting with Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira in Tehran on Sunday.

He added that Iran closely cooperates with its friend countries to solve important international issues, contribute to restoration of peace and stability to Syria, Iraq and Yemen and help nations determine their own fate.

Stressing that terrorism is posing a growing threat to international peace and security, Shamkhani said that “an effective fight against terrorism requires effective and sincere international cooperation as well as refusal of [global] powers to use terrorism as a tool to impose their own wills on independent countries.”

The SNSC secretary urged all countries to pursue political approaches instead of violence, help reduce threats and also respect legal rights of independent countries.

The Brazilian foreign minister, for his part, said Iran and Brazil should boost economic, technical and industrial cooperation in the new atmosphere created following the conclusion of the nuclear talks between the Islamic Republic and six world powers, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

On July 14, Iran and the P5+1 countries – the United States, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany – finalized the text of the JCPOA in the Austrian capital, Vienna. Under the JCPOA, limits will be put on Iran’s nuclear activities in exchange for, among other things, the removal of all economic and financial bans against the Islamic Republic.

Vieira also said that his country hosts nearly four million Syrian people and added that Brasilia believes that military action in Syria would further complicate the situation in the war-hit country.

He emphasized that only political approaches based on Syrians’ demands would solve the crisis in the Arab country.

Syria has been facing a foreign-backed militancy since 2011. According to reports, the violence has so far claimed at least 250,000 lives.

The Brazilian foreign minister, heading a delegation, arrived in Tehran on Saturday for a two-day visit.

Vieira held talks with senior Iranian officials, including President Hassan Rouhani, Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Parliament (Majlis) Speaker Ali Larijani, on the latest regional and international developments as well as ways to improve mutual relations.