BRICS Nations Issue Joint Call for Restraint in Middle East War
Leaders of the 11-nation BRICS bloc issued a joint statement in New Delhi on Saturday calling for maximum restraint and de-escalation in the Middle East. Global financial institutions, international shipping lines, and energy sector operators now face a unified diplomatic stance from a coalition representing half the world’s population as ongoing regional conflict threatens key trade routes.
Bloc Reaches Consensus Following May Ministerial Impasse in New Delhi
The joint declaration, released during the 18th BRICS Summit, expressed deep concern over rising tensions in West Asia and warned against any actions that could further aggravate the security situation. Host nation India secured agreement among members, including China, Russia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, after foreign ministers failed to issue a joint statement during their preliminary meeting in New Delhi in May following the conflict that began with US-Israeli strikes on February 28.
Addressing assembled leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi noted that BRICS members command 40 percent of global gross domestic product and more than 25 percent of world trade. Iranian President Pezeshkian participated in the sessions while warning against foreign military presence in the region, particularly near the Strait of Hormuz. On the sidelines of the summit, UAE Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed met with President Pezeshkian to address bilateral and regional developments.
The accord comes as persistent military conflict in the Middle East continues to disrupt commercial shipping channels and destabilize energy markets worldwide.
