NEW DELHI: The US-Israel war on Iran is expected to dominate discussions at a two-day meeting of BRICS foreign ministers beginning in New Delhi on Thursday, putting pressure on the bloc to reach a unified stance and issue a joint statement.
The grouping, originally made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, has expanded in recent years to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Iran had urged India, which is set to chair BRICS in 2026, to use the platform to build consensus condemning US and Israeli actions in the ongoing Middle East conflict.
However, sharp differences have emerged within the bloc, particularly between Iran and the UAE, which find themselves on opposing sides of the regional confrontation triggered by the war launched by the US and Israel on February 28.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is expected to arrive late on Wednesday to attend the meeting, which will continue through May 14–15. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is also scheduled to participate.
It remains unclear who will represent the UAE at the gathering.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in March that some BRICS members are directly involved in the conflict, making it “difficult for us to forge a consensus.”
A ministry official told Reuters that India is hopeful of securing a joint statement following the latest round of discussions among foreign ministers.
Former Indian diplomat Manjeev Singh Puri noted that the participation of most BRICS foreign ministers, except China’s foreign minister who is otherwise engaged, was a positive sign for coalition-building among emerging economies and the Global South.
He added that while political solutions remain challenging, the very act of dialogue was encouraging and could help pave the way forward.
Rising energy prices triggered by the conflict have forced several BRICS countries, including India, to introduce emergency measures to protect their economies and consumers.
China has so far maintained a nominally neutral position, balancing its strong ties with both Iran and Arab states.
Beijing will be represented by its Ambassador to India Xu Feihong in place of Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who is unlikely to travel due to US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing this week.