BRICS Summit Produces Declaration Despite Iran-UAE Rift

Leaders from the expanded BRICS group gathered in New Delhi this weekend for their annual summit, with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hosting counterparts from Russia, China, Iran and other members amid ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East. The 11-nation bloc, which now accounts for roughly half the world's population and a growing share of global economic output, focused on practical steps to ease trade disruptions, secure energy supplies and reduce reliance on the US dollar in cross-border payments.

Modi announced that members had reached consensus on a joint declaration stressing the need for uninterrupted global trade flows, supply chains and energy access. The document avoids naming specific countries but condemns unilateral aggression, reflecting efforts to paper over sharp divisions between Iran and Gulf states like the United Arab Emirates over the current Middle East fighting. Negotiators worked through the differences under Indian guidance, with the leaders expected to endorse the text later on Saturday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, on his first visit to India in seven years, urged the group to play a larger role in resolving the Middle East conflict, saying the fighting brings no benefit to the broader international community. Xi, who received a formal welcome with military honors and traditional dancers, is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Modi aimed at further easing border tensions that flared in deadly clashes five years ago. Both sides have restored some flights and contacts, though the core territorial dispute along their long Himalayan frontier remains unsettled.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also attended, using the platform to highlight alternatives to Western financial systems. Discussions centered on expanding non-dollar payment channels, cooperation in artificial intelligence and reforms to global institutions that currently favor developed Western economies. The bloc's expansion since its founding by Brazil, Russia, India and China has given it added weight, yet internal rifts over regional wars continue to test its cohesion.

US President Donald Trump added to the backdrop by stating that Iran was likely behind a recent aerial attack on Saudi Arabia's East-West oil pipeline, which has forced rerouting of crude exports. He noted conversations with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and indicated that Houthi rebels had signaled they preferred to avoid direct US involvement in the Red Sea area. These remarks come as American tariffs on multiple trading partners, including several BRICS nations, have heightened incentives for the group to build parallel economic structures.

For India, the summit underscores its balancing act between longstanding ties to Moscow and Tehran and growing security and technology links with Washington and European capitals. Modi has repeatedly called for dialogue and diplomacy to end the Middle East conflict, citing risks to seafarers and navigation through key chokepoints like the Strait of Hormuz. The gathering occurs against a backdrop of tightened shipping lanes and energy volatility that has affected developing economies most directly.

BRICS members represent a clear push for greater say in global affairs, driven in part by repeated US use of financial leverage and military commitments abroad. Whether the group can convert its stated consensus into lasting alternatives remains an open question given the competing interests around the table.