Iran Conflict Looms Over BRICS Summit in Delhi
New Delhi-Foreign ministers from the BRICS bloc will gather in New Delhi on Thursday under the shadow of the escalating US-Israeli conflict with Iran, with divisions among member states threatening efforts to produce a unified joint statement on the crisis.
The two-day meeting comes as the expanded BRICS grouping, now comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, faces growing diplomatic strain over the Gulf conflict and its economic fallout.
Iran has urged India, which holds the BRICS chairmanship for 2026, to use the forum to forge a consensus condemning military actions by the United States and Israel, according to officials familiar with preparations for the meeting.
The sharpest divisions have emerged between Iran and the United Arab Emirates, which are aligned on opposing sides of the conflict that erupted following military operations launched by the United States and Israel on Feb. 28.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to arrive in New Delhi late on Wednesday for the talks, which run through May 15. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is also expected to attend, while it remained unclear who would represent the UAE delegation.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said earlier this year that forging consensus within BRICS had become difficult because several member states were directly involved in the conflict.
An Indian government official told Reuters New Delhi remained hopeful that discussions among ministers could still result in a joint communique despite continuing disagreements.
“Glad that the foreign ministers from all the BRICS countries, except China who is otherwise tied up, are coming,” former Indian diplomat Manjeev Singh Puri said. “This is a good sign on efforts to build a BRICS coalition around a matter of interest to emerging economies and the global south.”
China will instead be represented by its ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, as Foreign Minister Wang Yi is not expected to attend due to President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing this week.
The war has intensified pressure on BRICS economies through rising energy costs and market volatility, prompting several member states, including India, to introduce emergency measures aimed at cushioning consumers and stabilizing domestic markets.
China has maintained a publicly neutral position throughout the conflict while balancing close ties with Iran alongside expanding economic and diplomatic relations with Sunni-majority Gulf states.
