BRICS Leaders Adopt New Delhi Declaration, Urge Restraint in Middle East

Leaders of the BRICS bloc unanimously adopted a joint statement, the New Delhi Declaration, on the first day of their annual summit, expressing deep concern over the war in the Middle East and calling for “maximum restraint” along with a multilateral approach that respects national viewpoints. The declaration also condemned the use of sanctions not authorized by the United Nations, voicing concern over a rise in unilateral tariff and other trade-distorting measures, against the backdrop of US sanctions on Iran and Russia.

The summit's session on the Middle East included Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, and the declaration expressed concern over “deliberate attacks” on civilian infrastructure and on peaceful nuclear facilities operating under International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards, saying nuclear safety and security must be protected during armed conflict. Reaching consensus was seen as especially difficult for host India this year, since the bloc now includes both Iran and the United Arab Emirates, a close US ally, and the declaration arrives as the US and Iran have resumed tit-for-tat strikes after a lull for much of August. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi used the summit to call for greater empowerment of the Global South, while Chinese President Xi Jinping's attendance was read as a sign of a thaw in India-China relations.