BRICS leaders meet in India as Iran war reshapes global agenda

Leaders of the BRICS grouping began their summit Saturday in India’s capital as the US-Iran war stretches into its seventh month and the Russia-Ukraine war continues into its fifth year.

The summit comes amid the broader global economic effects of the US-Iran conflict, which has fueled an energy crisis and raised concerns about energy security, trade, and inflation.

On the eve of the summit, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed hope for “positive” and “meaningful” discussions.

China said it looks forward to "working with fellow BRICS countries to promote dialogue and negotiation to resolve differences, and jointly safeguard regional and global peace and stability."

The 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit brings together leaders and senior officials from the expanded grouping of 11 countries, including longtime members Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – the origin of the BRICS name – plus more recent members Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.

On the first day, leaders launched the summit with a closed-door session for BRICS member countries titled “Inclusive Global Governance and Strengthening Multilateralism.”

They are also scheduled to visit the Bharat Innovates Exhibition, take part in a tree-planting ceremony, and attend a gala dinner hosted by Modi.

Among those attending are Chinese President Xi Jinping, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Russian President Vladimir Putin, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

Brazil is being represented by Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, with Saudi Arabia represented by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

Amid tensions in Middle East which involves Iran, Saudi Arabia as well as UAE, all members of the BRICS, Indian officials sources said the bloc leaders “reached a consensus on a joint statement.”

The joint statement is expected to be released after the main events conclude.

Summit day 2

The group has also welcomed partner countries into the framework, including Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

Other attendees include Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Burundian President Evariste Ndayishimiye, Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, and Uzbek Deputy Prime Minister Djamshid Kuchkarov.

Representing other countries are Thai Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Cuban Prime Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov, Uruguayan Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin, and Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani.

On day two of the summit, leaders will attend an open session titled “Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth.”

The group now represents about 49.5% of the world’s population, 40% of global GDP and 26% of global trade, according to figures cited by BRICS.

The last summit was held in Rio de Janeiro in 2025.