BRICS nations call for ‘maximum restraint’ in shadow of worsening Mid-East war

NEW DELHI – Members of the 11-nation BRICS group – including China, Russia, Iran and India – called for calm in the Middle East at a summit on Sept 12, overcoming earlier divisions to issue a joint statement.

“We express deep concern over the continued escalation of tensions in the Middle East/West Asia and, recalling our respective national positions, call for exercising maximum restraint, as well as avoiding actions that could further aggravate the situation,” the statement issued in New Delhi read.

Foreign ministers of the BRICS grouping failed to agree on a joint statement when they met in New Delhi in May, with member states Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates divided over the war that began with US-Israeli strikes on Feb 28.

But a statement was issued at the leaders’ meeting on Sept 12 after intense diplomatic efforts by host India.

The statement also condemned attacks on civilian infrastructure and nuclear facilities.

“We express serious concern over deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities under full safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in violation of international law and relevant resolutions of the IAEA,” it said.

“Nuclear safeguards, safety and security must always be upheld, including in armed conflicts, to protect people and the environment from harm.”

Chinese President Xi Jinping, speaking on Sept 12 at the opening of the two-day summit, said the Middle East war “does not serve the common interests of the international community”, according to state news agency Xinhua.

The joint BRICS statement read: “We note the current global context of polarisation and distrust and encourage global action to strengthen international peace and security.”

“We stress the need to work together to maintain smooth flow of global trade, supply chains and energy, in accordance with applicable international law,” it added.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi managed to steer rival BRICS nations towards a joint statement despite competing positions over issues ranging from an escalating war in the Middle East to trade.

“We have to transform this pyramid of privilege into a platform of partnership,” said Modi, opening the two-day summit.

He called for a system “where every country has a voice, every member has a stake and humanity’s development is at the centre of every effort”.

The BRICS summit kicked off in New Delhi on Sept 12, attended by Xi, in his first visit to India in seven years, alongside Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian and others.

The 10 full members and Saudi Arabia agreed on a joint communique despite sharply divergent geopolitical positions, according to an Indian government official, who asked not to be identified as the outcome is not yet public.

The negotiations lasted into the early hours of Sept 12 and were particularly complex, given the need to secure agreement among countries including Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the official said.

Hours before the summit began, Saudi Arabia closed a key alternative pipeline to the Strait of Hormuz following multiple attacks from Iran-backed militants.

Fighting in the Middle East has intensified in recent days, with oil prices surging close to US$110 amid worries over energy supplies. Asian equities and bonds have slumped.

Tehran has targeted the UAE and Saudi Arabia with strikes in retaliation for the US- and Israel-led war on Iran.

On Sept 11, Pezeshkian gave a defiant speech in New Delhi, saying the people of his country will not surrender. “They want to bully us, and we do not want to be bullied,” he said of the United States and Israel. “We never kneel down before them. If they push us, we push back.”

A joint declaration by the BRICS nations marks a show of unity by the bloc and a win for Modi, who is seeking to balance ties with Iran on the one side, and the UAE, the US and Israel on the other.

Modi’s other goals

Beyond the immediate challenge of the war, Modi is seeking to use the summit to advance a broader agenda for the so-called Global South, including greater trade in local currencies, closer cross-border payment links and reforms to institutions such as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank to give developing economies a greater voice.

The gathering is offering him a chance to shore up his image as a leader among Global South nations, as well as project India’s ability to maintain ties spanning different ideological camps – a strategic autonomy whose value has grown as relations with the United States, New Delhi’s longtime partner, have frayed amid President Donald Trump’s trade war.

Despite the broader show of unity, divisions remain within the group. India and China stay far apart on their longstanding border dispute, while India has resisted efforts by other nations to recast the informal grouping into an anti-US bloc.

Xi struck a positive tone as he sat down for bilateral talks with Modi in New Delhi, saying in televised comments that he was pleased to be back in India for the latest of their frequent interactions over the past 12 years.

As major members of the Global South, India and China also carry significant global responsibilities, said Xi.

“Although the two countries have different national circumstances, they can certainly learn from each other’s strengths and make up for each other’s weaknesses, support one another, help each other succeed, and develop together,” he said.

In the run-up to the summit on Sept 11, Modi sat down with Pezeshkian and reiterated New Delhi’s call for disputes to be resolved through dialogue, stressing the need to preserve regional peace, freedom of navigation and commerce, and the safety of seafarers. He also met Putin on Sept 11.

“The weekend will show India using diplomacy to restore the Indian government’s domestic image, elevate its international diplomatic standing and engage Russia and Iran without offending the US,” KC Singh, a former senior Indian diplomat, wrote in The Tribune newspaper.

Singh cautioned against expecting too much from the summit.

“A few plurilateral summits may at best frame solutions but implementation requires visionary leadership.” BLOOMBERG, AFP