"We consider it in our interest to maintain a dialogue with the Iranian government, including as a way to reduce tensions, because isolation sometimes only exacerbates a worrying situation that could lead to a conflict," Foreign Minister Antonio Patriota told state television and radio.

The relationship with Tehran contributed to Brazil's aim of "contributing to world peace," he said.

Lula and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had friendly ties, underlined when Brazil and Turkey last year extracted a concession from Tehran to engage in a nuclear fuel swap deal.

That deal was ultimately shot down by the United States, which secured a new round of sanctions against Iran in the UN Security Council as part of a campaign to pressure Iran over a suspected nuclear arms program.

Rousseff, who took over from Lula in January this year, has been more critical of Iran, notably on its human rights record and policies towards women, but she has not deviated from the lines set by her predecessor.

Patriota said her government would continue the same relationship with Iran.

He said Lula's approach "was not really about getting closer to President Ahmainejad's government, but more about contributing to creating trust between countries such as the United States and Iran, and contributing to a diplomatic solution for one of the more thorny and complicated issues on the international agenda."

Rousseff will have an opportunity to explore that issue further when she hosts a visit by US President Barack Obama next month. Her office said Obama would speak with her in Brasilia on March 19.