Iran War Dominates BRICS Meet in Delhi; Jaishankar Warns of ‘Fragility of the Situation’

The two-day meeting of foreign ministers of the BRICS grouping began on Thursday in New Delhi amid rising concerns over the West Asia crisis. The BRICS Summit will be hosted by New Delhi in September.

The grouping, which originally comprised Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, has expanded over the years to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the UAE.

The Iran-US war, now in its third month, has raised global concerns over energy prices, economic growth, and the possibility of a recession.

Tehran, a member state of the grouping, has urged India to use the BRICS platform to build consensus condemning the US and Israeli military attacks in the West Asian region. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi arrived on Wednesday and will attend the forum through May 14–15.

Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping has begun bilateral talks with US President Donald Trump and is expected to announce deals across technology, trade, and potentially signal the status of a likely ceasefire in Iran.

China’s Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, will represent Beijing at the BRICS meeting instead of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The BRICS grouping, which represents major emerging economies seeking economic and security policy coordination, holds discussions based on priorities set at the annual summit.

The agenda of the meeting ahead of the 18th annual summit is “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.” However, as per reports, the ongoing war in Iran is likely to dominate discussions.

“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.

Safe and unimpeded maritime flows through international waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz and Red Sea, remain vital for global economic well-being,” External Affairs Minister S.Jaishankar said in the opening remarks.

Meeting Amid Crisis

The meeting of the foreign ministers comes not just amid volatile markets, an energy crisis, and conflict in West Asia. It also comes as countries grapple with the impact of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which has disrupted global trade and supply chains.

The closure has sent global crude prices soaring, weighing heavily on crude-importing countries like India.

It has also led oil-exporting countries in the West Asian region to slash output and halt exports, tightening global supply and compelling countries to source crude from Russia and Latin American nations.