Islamabad, Pakistan – A two-day meeting of BRICS foreign ministers in New Delhi ended on Friday without a common position on the war on Iran, with the bloc’s outcome document acknowledging only that “differing views” remained among members.
It was the second consecutive BRICS gathering in India to fail to produce a consensus on the conflict involving the United States and Israel. The meeting opened under the chairship of Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, marking the first major ministerial engagement under India’s 2026 BRICS presidency.
The 10-member grouping of emerging economies coordinates on economic and security issues while seeking a greater voice for the Global South. A leaders’ summit is scheduled for September in India. The meeting unfolded against the backdrop of the US-Israel war on Iran, now in its 77th day.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi urged BRICS members to explicitly condemn US and Israeli “violations of international law.” The UAE’s representative, Khalifa bin Shaheen Al Marar, called for condemnation of Iranian actions. The exchange exposed the deepest fault line within the expanded bloc, which includes both Iran and the UAE as full members.
Araghchi accused the UAE of allowing the US to use Emirati territory for attacks on Iran and of direct participation in strikes. The UAE rejected these claims, stating that Iranian strikes targeted its energy infrastructure. India’s Jaishankar, navigating the dispute as chair, called for “safe and unimpeded maritime flows” and noted that unilateral sanctions cannot substitute dialogue.
The outcome document noted only “differing views” and listed general principles without naming any party. Since February 28, BRICS has not issued a single joint statement on the war. On other agenda items, member states reached agreement on more than 60 issues, including energy cooperation and climate action.
Former Pakistani diplomat Jauhar Saleem called the outcome unsurprising, noting that BRICS remains a disparate group with very different foreign interests. He argued that bloc politics is becoming increasingly irrelevant and that Pakistan’s balanced approach is better suited to these times.
Source: www.aljazeera.com