NEW DELHI: Iran’s top diplomat called on BRICS member states to condemn the US and Israel over their violations of international law, as foreign ministers from the bloc of emerging economies began a two-day meeting in New Delhi on Thursday.
Initially comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the group has expanded with the accession of Egypt, Iran, Ethiopia, the UAE and Indonesia in recent years.
Indian Minister of External Affairs S. Jaishankar is chairing this week’s gathering, which is held to prepare for the upcoming leaders’ summit in September and comes amid the ongoing war in the Middle East, triggered by the US-Israeli attack on Iran on Feb. 28.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi pointed to “Western hegemony” and the US’ “sense of entitlement” during the meeting, as he urged the bloc to collectively condemn Washington and Tel Aviv.
“That false sense of entitlement must be shattered by all of us. Iran, therefore, calls upon BRICS member states and all responsible members of the international community to explicitly condemn violations of international law by the United States and Israel, including their illegal aggression against Iran, a member of BRICS,” he said.
Iran believed that BRICS symbolized “the emergence of a new global order” where the Global South plays a crucial role, as Araghchi called on the bloc to “prevent the politicization of international institutions and take concrete action to halt warmongering.”
Dhananjay Tripathi, associate dean of the international studies faculty at the South Asian University in New Delhi, described Iran’s appeal as “genuine” and grounded within the rules of international law.
“When developing countries are facing enormous pressure, particularly from the United States, at this point in time, then BRICS also has a responsibility to at least issue some statement of this kind, expressing, if not their anger, at least their concern that the sovereignty of a developing country has been violated,” he told Arab News.
The BRICS meeting takes place “at a time of considerable flux in international relations,” Jaishankar said, adding that talks would focus on global and regional challenges and ways to deepen cooperation among member nations.
“The conflict in West Asia merits particular attention. Continuing tensions, risks to maritime traffic, and disruptions to energy infrastructure highlight the fragility of the situation,” he said.
“Safe and unimpeded maritime flows through international waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea, remain vital for global economic well-being.”
Since the US and Israel attacked Iran more than two months ago, leading to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, disruptions in the key energy shipping route continue to upend global markets, driving price volatility and increasing pressure on oil-and-gas importing economies.
But experts doubt that the meeting will reach a consensus over the war on Iran.
“In terms of outcome, it would be difficult to reach a consensus given the divergences among member states, and it is unlikely to generate any consensus or unanimous statement on the ongoing conflict in the Middle East,” said Muddassir Quamar, associate professor at the School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University.
“However, one might expect convergence on less contentious issues including global governance, multilateralism, sustainability, (and) food security.”
But the Delhi meeting remains “significant” as “it brings together important stakeholders in global conversations, like Russia, China, Iran and the UAE together,” particularly in the geopolitical context of the war on Iran, said Prof. Harsh V. Pant, vice president at Observer Research Foundation.
As a platform, BRICS can also ask warring parties to work towards peace and ensure that vital waterways like the Strait of Hormuz remain free and open, he added.
“I think the main focus of the meeting will remain on how BRICS can bring to the fore the challenges of global governance at a time when great power contestation, when geopolitical challenges abound and the voice of a large part of the world is not being heard when it comes to global governance. I think bringing that voice to the table will be important,” Pant said.
While he does not expect the bloc to issue a statement resisting US imperialism, he expects one that speaks to something broader.
“There’s certainly going to be some aspect of the decline of multilateralism and the rise of unilateral tendencies in global politics,” he said. “It would not be US-specific; it would be more generic.”
