SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Brazil’s President Luiz  Inacio Lula da Silva said yesterday that he will tell Iran’s  President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad the Islamic Republic would suffer  the consequences if it seeks nuclear arms.

Lula, who is due to visit Tehran next month, said he would  talk face-to-face with Ahmadinejad and warn him.

Latin America’s largest economy has urged continued  dialogue with Iran even as Western powers push for a new round  of UN sanctions over a nuclear program they believe is aimed  at developing nuclear bombs.

The Lula administration said this week it was looking to  finance Brazilian exports to Iran, particularly food supplies.