Iran Urges BRICS to Condemn US and Israeli Aggression
Al Jazeera
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has accused the UAE of directly participating in military operations against Iran and urged BRICS nations to condemn US and Israeli actions. Speaking at an expanded BRICS meeting in New Delhi, Araghchi called for resistance against Western hegemony and highlighted divisions within the group over the Middle East conflict.
On May 14, during an expanded BRICS foreign ministers meeting in New Delhi, India, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called on member states to condemn actions he said violate international law by the United States and Israel. The two-day meeting took place against the backdrop of the Middle East war and an associated fuel crisis that dominated the agenda.
Addressing the conference, Araghchi characterized Iran as “a victim of illegal expansionism and belligerent ideology.” He urged the BRICS+ group—comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the UAE—to resist “Western hegemony and the sense of impunity that the United States believes it enjoys.”
“Iran calls on BRICS member states and all responsible members of the international community to clearly condemn the violations of international law by the United States and Israel,” Araghchi stated.
In a rare development where Iranian and UAE officials attended the same meeting since the US and Israel launched a war against Iran in late February, Araghchi accused the US ally UAE of directly participating in military operations against Iran. Iran’s semi-official Mehr news agency quoted the foreign minister as saying: “The UAE is directly involved in the aggression against my country.”
In retaliation for US and Israeli attacks, Iran has struck US military bases and assets in Gulf states, including the UAE. It remains unclear how the UAE and other attendees of the BRICS+ meeting reacted to Araghchi’s remarks.
India is hosting the expanded BRICS foreign ministers meeting, which includes Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE—countries with differing positions on the Middle East conflict. In his opening remarks, Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar noted: “We meet at a time of great turbulence in international relations.”
Shipping routes in the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz continue to unsettle oil markets, putting additional pressure on energy-importing economies, including India. India’s Foreign Ministry also condemned an attack on an Indian-flagged vessel off the coast of Oman on May 13 as “unacceptable,” without specifying the perpetrator.
Araghchi asserted that the Strait of Hormuz is “open to all” commercial vessels that “cooperate” with the Iranian navy. Meanwhile, the US-Israeli war against Iran has added strain to India’s economy, which heavily relies on Middle Eastern energy and fertilizer supplies.
Iran is set to host a BRICS summit later this year, and foreign ministers are also scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. With deep divisions among some members over the Middle East war, it remains uncertain whether BRICS, which operates by consensus, can issue a joint statement at the meeting’s conclusion.
Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said that “one member state” pushed for language condemning Iran, complicating efforts to build consensus within the group. “We want India’s BRICS presidency to succeed. Sending a signal that BRICS is divided is not good,” Gharibabadi said.
