Senior diplomats from BRICS member states, including the United Arab Emirates and Iran, failed to issue a joint statement on Friday after a two-day meeting in Delhi, prompting host India to release only a presidential statement.
Iran had wanted the grouping of emerging economies to condemn the war launched by the US and Israel against it in late February. Tehran has accused the United Arab Emirates, a US ally in the region, of direct involvement in military operations against it.
Iran has hit the UAE with missiles and drones several times since the start of the war on February 28. Earlier this month, the Emirates was forced to restrict its airspace again due to what leaders in Abu Dhabi say were new Iranian strikes.
“There were different views among some members regarding the situation in the West Asia/Middle East region,” India said in the statement and outcome document.
Iran, new veiled attack on the United Arab Emirates
Without directly naming the UAE, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told a news conference that a BRICS member had blocked parts of the statement.
“We don't have a problem with that particular country, it was not our target in the current war. We only hit US military bases and US military installations which unfortunately are on its territory,” Araqchi said, adding that he hoped things would change when BRICS leaders meet later this year.
“I hope that by the time we come to the summit, they will reach a good understanding, that Iran is a neighbor, we have to live with each other, we have lived together for centuries and we will have to live together for centuries to come,” stressed the head of Iranian diplomacy.
The UAE Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters.
India's statement said the BRICS member states expressed their respective national positions and shared “a diverse range of perspectives”.
These ranged from the need for a quick resolution to the crisis, the importance of dialogue and diplomacy, to respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Also included in the discussions were the importance of respecting international law, ensuring safe and unfettered maritime trade through international waterways, and protecting civilian infrastructure and human lives.
BRICS countries, call for the unity of the Global South
The statement said the BRICS ministers “recalled that the Gaza Strip is an inseparable part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.” They also emphasized the importance of the unification of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip under the Palestinian Authority and reaffirmed the Palestinian people's right to self-determination and an independent State of Palestine.
Without naming him, the statement also said that one member state had reservations about some aspects of the section on Gaza.
India's statement as the bloc's chair in 2026 stated that member states called for the unity of the Global South to address global challenges.
“They highlighted the importance of the Global South as an engine of positive change,” the text emphasizes.
The region faces international challenges, from rising geopolitical tensions to economic decline, technological change, protectionist measures and migration pressures, the statement warned.
BRICS brings together Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.
The largest BRICS country, heavily affected by the conflict in the Middle East
As the world's third-largest oil importer and consumer, India has been hit hard by Iran's effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supplies normally pass.
Iranian attacks have been linked to the deaths of at least three Indian nationals in the waterway, and an Indian-flagged ship was sunk this week just as the Araqchi was en route to Delhi.
During a brief visit to the United Arab Emirates, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday condemned the attacks on the Gulf state.
“The way the UAE has been targeted is unacceptable in any form,” he said. “Under these difficult circumstances, the restraint and courage you have shown are highly commendable,” he emphasized.
