The genesis and distribution of pedogenic iron oxides in soils developed on amphibolitic parent material under contrasting semiarid climates in northeastern Brazil were investigated to assess how weathering intensity controls Fe availability and iron oxides pathways. Two Chromic Luvisols (Profile 1, with a mean annual precipitation of 415 mm per year, and Profile 2, with a mean annual precipitation of 777 mm per year) were sampled and analyzed using X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, selective iron extractions with dithionite-citrate-bicarbonate and acid ammonium oxalate, micromorphological analysis, and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive spectroscopy. Hornblende and biotite were identified as the main Febearing precursors; their differential alteration releases Fe to the soil system and sets distinct pedogenetic trajectories. In the drier profile, Fe stabilization within 2:1 phyllosilicate occurs through neoformation of Fe-rich clay minerals, and through direct transformation of biotite into vermiculite in the silt fraction, which involves isomorphic substitution of Al by structural Fe inherited from biotite. These processes limit Fe supersaturation in the soil solution, thereby favoring goethite formation and resulting in smaller proportions of hematite. Conversely, more intense weathering in the wetter profile enhanced Fe mobilization and promoted hematite crystallization over goethite. The results demonstrate that weathering intensity and Fe availability govern the balance between neoformed Fe-bearing clay minerals and oxide phases, with important implications for soil properties and potential carbon stabilization.