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India Faces BRICS Test Amid US-Iran War Divisions
India is hosting an important meeting called the BRICS Summit.
The meeting will take place in New Delhi on September 12 and 13, 2026.
Several countries at the meeting disagree about the US-Iran war and the wider Middle East crisis.
Iran and the United Arab Emirates are both BRICS members but have different interests in the conflict.
Saudi Arabia will also be represented at the summit.
India wants the countries to agree on a joint statement, but reaching agreement may be difficult.
The war could affect shipping and the price and supply of energy that India needs.
India is therefore trying to act as a bridge while protecting its relationships with the United States, Gulf countries and other BRICS members.
India will host the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi on September 12-13, 2026.
The summit brings together BRICS members including Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, whose interests differ over the Middle East conflict.
Indian officials and BRICS negotiators are working on a joint declaration addressing the US-Iran war and its regional consequences.
Iran has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to use India’s diplomatic relationships to promote dialogue and oppose further military escalation.
The conflict raises concerns for India about energy supplies, shipping, oil prices, inflation, trade and its large regional diaspora.
- Who
- India, the other BRICS members, and invited partner countries; key participants include Narendra Modi, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping and Masoud Pezeshkian.
- What
- India is hosting the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit amid disagreements over the US-Iran war and the wider Middle East crisis.
- Where
- Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, India.
- When
- September 12-13, 2026; Narendra Modi’s bilateral meetings with Vladimir Putin and Masoud Pezeshkian are scheduled for Friday, with a possible meeting with Xi Jinping on Saturday.
- Why
- India is seeking to build consensus among BRICS members while addressing the conflict’s implications for energy security, shipping, trade and global oil markets.
Iran’s Position
Balancing Position
Response to US military action
Iran’s Position
Iran has urged India to help build a common BRICS position opposing US military action and to encourage a return to dialogue.
Balancing Position
India must seek consensus among members while maintaining strategic and economic relationships with the United States and Gulf countries.
Joint declaration
Iran’s Position
Iran is seeking language that addresses the conflict and condemns military escalation.
Balancing Position
The United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have different interests from Iran, making agreement on the wording difficult.
BRICS’s broader role
Iran’s Position
The grouping can provide a platform for opposition to a Western-dominated global order and support for emerging economies.
Balancing Position
Analysts note that BRICS members have sharply different political systems, economic interests and geopolitical relationships, limiting how closely they can align.
Key facts
- Host country
- India
- Summit venue
- Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi
- Summit dates
- September 12-13, 2026
- Official theme
- Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability
- BRICS membership
- The grouping now includes 11 major emerging markets and developing countries
- Main diplomatic challenge
- Drafting a joint position on the US-Iran war and the Middle East crisis
- Economic concern for India
- Possible disruption to energy supplies, shipping and global oil markets
Quotes
Brahma Chellaney
Author and commentator writing in Project Syndicate
“The BRICS includes liberal democracies and authoritarian states, leading energy exporters and major energy importers, manufacturing powers and commodity economies.”
livemint.com
“Fragmentation is growing and great powers are at loggerheads with each other. Wars are raging across the world from Middle East to Europe, with no end in sight.”
livemint.com
Sources
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