New Delhi, May 24 (IANS) India managed a major diplomatic challenge during the recent BRICS Ministerial Summit held in the national capital on May 14–15, 2026, amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), a report in leading portal claimed, shedding light on the West Asia tension overshadowing the discussions.
According to the report by the ‘Sunday Independent’, the two-day BRICS meeting, chaired by India, concluded without issuing a customary joint statement for the first time in the bloc’s history. Instead, India released only a Chair’s Statement and Outcome Document after deep divisions between Iran and the UAE prevented consensus among member nations.
The report noted that the summit overlapped with the US-China summit in Beijing, where US President Donald Trump held talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. During this period, China’s foreign minister was reportedly absent from the BRICS meeting as Beijing focused on hosting the American delegation.
The report states that the crisis emerged from contradictions created after the 2024 BRICS expansion, strongly backed by China, which brought both Iran and the UAE into the grouping despite their longstanding regional rivalry.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi reportedly urged BRICS members to condemn alleged “violations of international law by the United States and Israel.” However, UAE Minister of State Khalifa bin Shaheen Al Marar rejected the remarks and accused Iran of attempting to justify attacks against Gulf nations.
The report further stated that the Foreign Ministers’ meeting was originally intended to prepare for the BRICS heads-of-state summit scheduled for September 2026, with discussions planned around trade finance, local currency settlements, UN reforms, and the New Development Bank (NDB).
However, much of the focus shifted to the ongoing conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States.
The Sunday Independent concluded that India’s handling of the Summit reflected “pragmatic realism,” arguing that BRICS should currently be viewed more as a flexible cooperation platform than a fully unified geopolitical bloc.
The report said India’s approach demonstrated the importance of remaining constructively engaged while carefully managing internal contradictions within the expanded grouping.
According to India’s Sherpa for BRICS and Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, Sudhakar Dalela, the document reflected the “common position” of members on almost all subjects.
As the BRICS chair, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar acknowledged without hesitation, “There were differing views among some members regarding the situation in West Asia/the Middle East”.
–IANS
rs/mr