While the president of China and leader of one of the founding members of BRICS, , was welcoming him in Beijing, the foreign ministers of the economic bloc of major emerging economies were meeting in New Delhi, in the context of the preparation for the 18th BRICS Summit to be held in September.
However, the two-day meeting ended without a joint communiqué due to “different approaches among some members” on developments in the Middle East, as host India admitted.
The development reignites questions about whether the bloc remains united as it seeks to strengthen its geopolitical and economic influence on the international stage.
The war in Iran overshadowed the meeting
As expected, he overshadowed the two-day event, which featured Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, making visible the divisions mainly between the latter two.
Last Thursday – the first day of the meeting -, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called on BRICS member states to condemn the US and Israel for what he called “illegal aggression” against his country. At the same time, he asked the members of the bloc to resist the “politicization of international institutions”.
The escalation of tension between Iran and the UAE
Without directly naming the UAE, Aragchi alleged that a BRICS member blocked crucial points of the joint statement promoted by India. Tehran has repeatedly targeted its Gulf neighbor since the outbreak of war on February 28, as it has reportedly hit the UAE harder than any other country involved in the conflict, including Israel.
However, the Iranian Foreign Minister stated that “we do not have a problem with this particular country and it was not our target in the current war. We hit exclusively American military bases and facilities, which unfortunately are on their soil.”
For his part, UAE spokesman Khalifa bin Shaheen Al Marar dismissed Araghchi’s statements, accusing Tehran of trying to justify “terrorist attacks” against the Emirates and other Gulf states. According to him, Iran has launched about 3,000 attacks against the UAE with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones.
The main axes of the agenda
Despite the disagreements, the Indian presidency tried to highlight the areas of convergence between the members. Calls for reform of global governance institutions such as the UN and the Security Council took center stage, with the BRICS countries reiterating their constant demand for greater representation from the so-called “Global South”.
A significant part of the discussions was also devoted to the war in Gaza. The foreign ministers agreed that the Gaza Strip should be an “integral part” of a future independent Palestinian state, underlining the need to unify it with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority. However, according to India’s statement, one member country expressed reservations about certain wordings of the relevant text.
Participants also called for respect for the ceasefire in Lebanon, while condemning — without naming specific states — the use of economic sanctions as a means of political coercion.
Sudan was also on the agenda, where the deep humanitarian crisis that the UN describes as the worst in the world continues, as well as the situation in Syria.
Energy crisis and geopolitical implications
The BRICS meeting was held, among other things, at a time of intense energy turmoil, since the closure of the US-Israeli war against Iran.
Since early March, Tehran has restricted shipping in the strategically important sea route, through which before the war around 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies moved.
Iranian attacks on US facilities and energy infrastructure in the Gulf, as well as the naval blockade announced by the US in April against Iranian ports, have further exacerbated the disruption in the global energy market.
The crisis directly affects several BRICS countries. India and China are heavily dependent on oil transported through the Strait of Hormuz, while Saudi Arabia and the UAE rely on the particular sea route for their exports. Although Brazil, Egypt and South Africa do not have the same direct dependence, they are affected by the rapid increase in international fuel prices.
What are BRICS?
It is a group of major emerging economies that seek to coordinate security and economic policies to strengthen the voice of the Global South within international organizations and on issues where the West has traditionally dominated economically and politically.
The bloc sets priorities and holds discussions at annual summits, which members take turns hosting. Last year the BRICS summit was hosted by Brazil and in 2024 by Russia. This year it is India’s turn.
The acronym comes from the countries Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. The organization was originally called BRIC when the foreign ministers of the first four countries began meeting in 2006 and when the first summit was held in 2009. It became BRICS when South Africa joined in 2010.
In 2023, the bloc extended invitations to Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates after those countries applied for membership. Saudi Arabia has not yet officially joined, but the rest of the countries are now members.
An invitation was also sent to Argentina, but it was rejected, as its president, Javier Millay, who was elected in December 2023, had pledged to strengthen the country’s relations with the West.
Indonesia joined the group in January 2025.
