India managed a major diplomatic challenge
Summit held in the national capital on
May 14–15, 2026, amid escalating tensions
between Iran and the United Arab Emirates
(UAE). The two-day BRICS meeting, chaired by
India, concluded without issuing a customary
joint statement for the first time in the bloc’s
history. Instead, India released only a Chair’s
Statement and Outcome Document after deep
divisions between Iran and the UAE prevented
consensus among member nations. The summit
overlapped with the US-China summit in Beijing,
where US President Donald Trump held talks
with Chinese President Xi Jinping. During this
period, China’s foreign minister was reportedly
absent from the BRICS meeting as Beijing
focused on hosting the American delegation. The
crisis emerged from contradictions created after
the 2024 BRICS expansion, strongly backed by
China, which brought both Iran and the UAE
into the grouping despite their longstanding
regional rivalry. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas
Araghchi reportedly urged BRICS members to
condemn alleged “violations of international
law by the United States and Israel.” However,
UAE Minister of State Khalifa bin Shaheen
Al Marar rejected the remarks and accused
Iran of attempting to justify attacks against
Gulf nations. The Foreign Ministers’ meeting
was originally intended to prepare for the
BRICS heads-of-state summit scheduled for
September 2026, with discussions planned
around trade finance, local currency settlements,
UN reforms, and the New Development Bank
(NDB). However, much of the focus shifted to the
ongoing conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the
United States. India’s handling of the Summit
reflected “pragmatic realism,” arguing that
BRICS should currently be viewed more as a
flexible cooperation platform than a fully unified
geopolitical bloc. India’s approach demonstrated
the importance of remaining constructively
engaged while carefully managing internal
contradictions within the expanded grouping.
According to India’s Sherpa for BRICS and
Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs,
Sudhakar Dalela, the document reflected the
“common position” of members on almost all
subjects. As the BRICS chair, External Affairs
Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar acknowledged
without hesitation, “There were differing views
among some members regarding the situation
in West Asia/the Middle East”.