Iran War Looms Over BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting in New Delhi

The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran is set to dominate a two-day meeting of BRICS foreign ministers that begins Thursday in New Delhi, testing the expanded group's ability to reach a unified position and issue a joint statement. The grouping now includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates.

Iran had pressed India, the current BRICS chair, to use the platform to build consensus condemning U.S. and Israeli actions in the Gulf conflict that began Feb. 28. Key differences have emerged between Iran and the United Arab Emirates, which find themselves on opposing sides of the front line in the conflict.

It remained unclear who would represent the UAE at the gathering. Iran’s foreign minister is expected to arrive late Wednesday for the meetings running through May 15. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is also scheduled to attend.

A ministry official later told reporters that officials remained hopeful of securing a joint statement after the latest round of meetings. A former Indian diplomat described the attendance as a positive sign for building cooperation among emerging economies and the global south, while acknowledging that political solutions would prove challenging.

China has maintained a nominally neutral stance given its ties to both Iran and Sunni-majority Arab states. With its foreign minister unavailable due to U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing this week, China will be represented by its ambassador to India.

Soaring energy prices triggered by the war have forced several BRICS nations, including India, to introduce emergency measures aimed at shielding their economies and consumers from the impact. The latest round of meetings comes after reports that the UAE and Saudi Arabia carried out military strikes on Iran in retaliation for earlier Iranian attacks.