BRICS Foreign Ministers Meet in Delhi Amid Deep Divisions Over Iran-UAE Conflict
Primary region BRICS
Tags Diplomacy
Regions BRICS · Asia · Middle East
Foreign ministers from the 11-nation BRICS bloc gathered in New Delhi on May 14-15 for a meeting overshadowed by divisions between Iran and the UAE over the West Asia war. Iranian FM Abbas Araghchi and Russian FM Sergey Lavrov attended in person, but China's FM Wang Yi skipped the meeting to host Trump in Beijing, with Ambassador Xu Feihong representing China. A previous BRICS deputies meeting on April 24 ended without a joint statement after Iran publicly accused a Gulf member of blocking consensus. India, as chair, faces a delicate balancing act with deep ties to both sides. Officials said a joint statement may be considered at the conclusion on May 15.
Strategic interpretation
The BRICS deadlock exposes the fundamental tension within the expanded bloc: it now includes countries on opposing sides of active conflicts (Iran vs. UAE/Saudi Arabia), making consensus nearly impossible on the most consequential geopolitical issues. India's inability to broker a joint statement for the second consecutive meeting weakens BRICS' claim to represent a coherent 'Global South' alternative to Western-led institutions. China's absence — choosing the U.S. summit over BRICS — further signals that great-power bilateral relationships still trump multilateral bloc politics.