Iran war reshapes Brics ties but also exposes divisions

What Happened

At the Brics summit in Delhi this weekend, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi told fellow leaders they should become "rule-shapers", not "rule-takers". The summit adopted the "New Delhi Declaration" on its first day, after two earlier ministerial meetings this year had failed to produce a joint statement. The declaration urges "maximum restraint" over the war in the Middle East, condemns attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities without assigning blame, reiterates support for a two-state solution, and opposes forced displacement of Palestinians or actions that could "legitimise or prolong occupation", framed around existing UN resolutions. It makes no mention of Russia's war in Ukraine, a departure from previous Brics declarations, and on trade it condemns unilateral sanctions and rising tariffs without naming the United States.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

The summit shows Brics acting as a platform for countries under Western pressure to coordinate outside US-dominated institutions, but it also exposes internal divisions: members like China, Russia and Iran see it as a counterweight to US influence, while India insists the group is "not against anyone". India's ability to host Iran and the UAE together and to produce a consensus declaration through strategic omissions demonstrates its diplomatic balancing, but the lack of concrete outcomes on Ukraine, the Middle East or naming the US underscores the limits of that consensus. For Iran, the engagement with the UAE and economic outreach is a signal against US "Operation Economic Outcast" and sanctions pressure.

Watch For

Watch whether India and China turn the agreed business and transport commitments into concrete steps, whether Iran and the UAE follow up with further high-level meetings, and whether upcoming Brics ministerial statements retain the same side-stepping consensus or revert to deadlock. Also monitor US reaction to the declaration's tariff and sanctions language, and any changes in the Middle East conflict following the "maximum restraint" call.