BRICS meeting begins amid Iran-US tensions
BRICS meeting 2026
Ahead of the annual BRICS Summit scheduled in India later this year, the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting is taking place in New Delhi on May 14 and 15. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is chairing the discussions. However, the ongoing Iran-US tensions have already influenced the diplomatic atmosphere surrounding the gathering.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday to participate in the meeting. On Thursday, Jaishankar met Araghchi, and both leaders exchanged greetings and held brief discussions. Earlier, India officially welcomed the Iranian minister. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also greeted him through a post on X.
Meanwhile, the aircraft carrying Araghchi has drawn international attention. The plane, named “Minab 168,” carries strong symbolic value for Iran. The name refers to the death of 168 girls after an alleged American attack on a school in Minab during the Iran-US conflict. Tehran continues to present the aircraft as a reminder of what it describes as American-Israeli attacks on Iranian civilians.
At the same time, deep divisions within the BRICS bloc over the Iran issue have raised concerns about the group’s future direction. Foreign ministers and senior representatives from BRICS member and partner nations are attending the meeting. Iran has reportedly urged BRICS nations, especially India as the current chair, to adopt a stronger diplomatic stand against American-Israeli military operations.
Earlier disagreements between Iran and the United Arab Emirates over attacks on Gulf energy infrastructure also prevented BRICS officials from issuing a joint statement. Diplomats said those differences complicated India’s efforts to build consensus before the meeting.
In addition, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will skip the summit because of US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing. China’s Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, will represent Beijing. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has confirmed his participation. During the visit, the foreign ministers are also expected to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
