“The UAE is an active partner in this aggression, and there is no doubt about it,” Araghchi said while attending the BRICS gathering hosted by India.“It also became clear that they participated in these attacks and may have even acted directly against us,” he added, without publicly providing evidence to support the allegation.

The remarks underscored widening fractures within BRICS as the bloc attempts to project unity amid the war involving Iran and intensifying geopolitical instability across the Middle East.

Araghchi also referenced reports circulated by Israeli media concerning an alleged secret meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the Emirates.Abu Dhabi has denied that any such meeting took place.

According to Iran’s Mehr news agency, Araghchi said he had initially avoided explicitly naming the UAE “for the sake of unity” during discussions among BRICS member states.“When the attacks started, they didn’t even issue a condemnation,” Araghchi said in response to remarks from the Emirati delegation.

The accusations come as BRICS foreign ministers meet to discuss the economic and geopolitical fallout from the Iran conflict, including disruptions to Gulf shipping lanes, energy markets and rising divisions among member countries.The UAE and Iran both joined BRICS during the bloc’s expansion phase in 2024, despite longstanding regional rivalries and competing strategic interests across the Gulf.

India, which currently chairs BRICS, is seeking to maintain consensus among members ahead of a leaders’ summit later this year, though disagreements over the Middle East conflict have complicated efforts to produce unified positions on global security issues.

India’s foreign ministry described the incident as “unacceptable,” saying commercial shipping and civilian mariners continued to face threats amid heightened regional tensions linked to the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.

“The attack on an Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman yesterday is unacceptable, and we deplore the fact that commercial shipping and civilian mariners continue to be targeted,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said all Indian crew members aboard the vessel had been rescued safely by Omani authorities but did not identify the ship or specify who New Delhi believed was responsible for the attack.Maritime security firm Vanguard identified the vessel as the MSV Hajj Ali, a wooden cargo dhow carrying 14 crew members.

The company said it received reports that the ship sank off Limah, Oman, south of the Strait of Hormuz, after a suspected explosion.According to Vanguard, the vessel was transporting livestock from Berbera in Somaliland to Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates when it was apparently struck by what was believed to be a drone or missile.

A fire reportedly broke out onboard, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel before it sank, the company said.Ship-tracking platform Maritime Traffic lists the MSV Hajj Ali as a 54-meter wooden dhow commonly used in regional cargo trade across Gulf and Arabian Sea routes.

Shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz has faced severe disruption since the outbreak of war involving Iran on Feb. 28. Tehran has imposed extensive restrictions on maritime movement through the waterway, while the United States has maintained a naval blockade targeting Iranian ports despite a ceasefire agreed in early April.

The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments during normal operating conditions, making any disruption a major concern for energy markets and import-dependent economies such as India.

“India reiterates that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, should be avoided,” the foreign ministry added.The incident occurred as India hosted foreign ministers from the BRICS bloc in New Delhi, including Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Speaking during the summit, Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz remained open to commercial traffic provided vessels coordinated with Iranian naval authorities, though he did not directly address the attack on the Indian vessel.

“The UAE is an active partner in this aggression, and there is no doubt about it,” Araghchi said while attending the BRICS gathering hosted by India.“It also became clear that they participated in these attacks and may have even acted directly against us,” he added, without publicly providing evidence to support the allegation.

The remarks underscored widening fractures within BRICS as the bloc attempts to project unity amid the war involving Iran and intensifying geopolitical instability across the Middle East.

Araghchi also referenced reports circulated by Israeli media concerning an alleged secret meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in the Emirates.

Abu Dhabi has denied that any such meeting took place.According to Iran’s Mehr news agency, Araghchi said he had initially avoided explicitly naming the UAE “for the sake of unity” during discussions among BRICS member states.

“When the attacks started, they didn’t even issue a condemnation,” Araghchi said in response to remarks from the Emirati delegation.The accusations come as BRICS foreign ministers meet to discuss the economic and geopolitical fallout from the Iran conflict, including disruptions to Gulf shipping lanes, energy markets and rising divisions among member countries.

The UAE and Iran both joined BRICS during the bloc’s expansion phase in 2024, despite longstanding regional rivalries and competing strategic interests across the Gulf.

India, which currently chairs BRICS, is seeking to maintain consensus among members ahead of a leaders’ summit later this year, though disagreements over the Middle East conflict have complicated efforts to produce unified positions on global security issues.

India’s foreign ministry described the incident as “unacceptable,” saying commercial shipping and civilian mariners continued to face threats amid heightened regional tensions linked to the conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.

“The attack on an Indian-flagged ship off the coast of Oman yesterday is unacceptable, and we deplore the fact that commercial shipping and civilian mariners continue to be targeted,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said all Indian crew members aboard the vessel had been rescued safely by Omani authorities but did not identify the ship or specify who New Delhi believed was responsible for the attack.

Maritime security firm Vanguard identified the vessel as the MSV Hajj Ali, a wooden cargo dhow carrying 14 crew members. The company said it received reports that the ship sank off Limah, Oman, south of the Strait of Hormuz, after a suspected explosion.

According to Vanguard, the vessel was transporting livestock from Berbera in Somaliland to Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates when it was apparently struck by what was believed to be a drone or missile.A fire reportedly broke out onboard, forcing the crew to abandon the vessel before it sank, the company said.

Ship-tracking platform Maritime Traffic lists the MSV Hajj Ali as a 54-meter wooden dhow commonly used in regional cargo trade across Gulf and Arabian Sea routes.Shipping activity through the Strait of Hormuz has faced severe disruption since the outbreak of war involving Iran on Feb. 28.

Tehran has imposed extensive restrictions on maritime movement through the waterway, while the United States has maintained a naval blockade targeting Iranian ports despite a ceasefire agreed in early April.

The Strait of Hormuz handles roughly one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments during normal operating conditions, making any disruption a major concern for energy markets and import-dependent economies such as India.

“India reiterates that targeting commercial shipping and endangering innocent civilian crew members, or otherwise impeding freedom of navigation and commerce, should be avoided,” the foreign ministry added.The incident occurred as India hosted foreign ministers from the BRICS bloc in New Delhi, including Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Speaking during the summit, Araghchi said the Strait of Hormuz remained open to commercial traffic provided vessels coordinated with Iranian naval authorities, though he did not directly address the attack on the Indian vessel.