The BRICS group of nations unanimously adopted a joint declaration on Sept. 12 expressing concerns over the conflict in the Middle East.
“We express deep concern over the continued escalation of tensions in 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 Sept. 12 New Delhi Declaration reads.
BRICS is made up of 10 countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.
The 140-point declaration, released by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, did not name the war in Iran outright, which started on Feb. 28, when U.S. and Israeli strikes killed Iranian leader Ali Khamenei and other senior officials in the regime.
The joint document called for civilians and civilian infrastructure to remain protected, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.
“We encourage increasing efforts, through dialogue and diplomacy, towards a long-term understanding that will contribute to lasting peace, security and stability in the region,” the declaration reads.
The region has been filled with uncertainty as the United States and Iran have engaged in strikes against each other, after a pause in fighting during August.
Some of the most recent attacks included when U.S. forces struck three Iranian crude oil carriers on Sept. 5 after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attempted to launch ballistic missiles toward two U.S. Navy warships.
The communiqué from the first day of the BRICS summit states that leaders “stress the need to work together to maintain smooth flow of global trade, supply chains and energy, in accordance with applicable international law.”
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) talks with the leader of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, during a meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi on Sept. 12, 2026. (Indian Prime Minister’s Office via AP)
The acronym BRIC was first used in 2001 by Goldman Sachs chief economist Jim O’Neill in a research paper that discussed the potential growth of Brazil, Russia, India, and China.
The countries came together in 2009 as an effort to increase the influence of their economies. South Africa joined in 2010, expanding the acronym to BRICS.
More than a decade later, countries including Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia joined the group.
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