What Happened
- Iran formally asked India — currently holding the rotating presidency of BRICS for 2026 — to issue a BRICS statement condemning the US-Israel military strikes on Iran that began in late February 2026.
- Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi both communicated to their Indian counterparts the expectation that BRICS, as a platform for Global South solidarity, should take a collective stand against what Tehran characterises as military aggression.
- India has responded with studied ambiguity: calling for dialogue and restraint, engaging with all parties, but declining to issue or lead any formal condemnation of the US or Israel.
- External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his Iranian counterpart held discussions on the role BRICS could play, without committing to a formal joint statement.
- BRICS members are divided: China and Russia broadly support condemning the strikes; India, Brazil, South Africa, and Gulf BRICS members like UAE and Saudi Arabia are more cautious.
Static Topic Bridges
India's 2026 BRICS Presidency — Theme, Structure, and Responsibilities
India assumed the rotating BRICS chairmanship on January 1, 2026, taking over from Brazil. This is India's fourth time chairing BRICS, having previously done so in 2012, 2016, and 2021. India's 2026 presidency theme is "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability (BRICS)." The chair country sets the annual agenda, hosts the leaders' summit (scheduled for later in 2026), and is responsible for facilitating consensus among member states on joint statements and declarations. India is set to host the 18th BRICS Summit in 2026.
- BRICS founding members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (formalised as BRICS in 2009).
- BRICS expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and UAE as full members; Indonesia joined in January 2025.
- The BRICS chair has no binding authority — decisions require consensus, making divisive geopolitical topics extremely difficult to navigate.
- Iran is itself a BRICS member since January 2024, which complicates India's role as chair: it must manage the interests of a member state that is simultaneously at the centre of a major military conflict.
Connection to this news: India's chairmanship places it in the unavoidable position of either facilitating a consensus statement (which would damage ties with the US) or allowing BRICS to remain silent (which Iran perceives as a betrayal of the Global South solidarity BRICS claims to represent).
India's Strategic Autonomy Doctrine
India's foreign policy is built around the doctrine of "strategic autonomy" — the principle of making independent decisions based on national interest rather than bloc-based alignments. Rooted in the Nehruvian Non-Alignment Movement (NAM) tradition, modern strategic autonomy allows India to maintain partnerships across rival groupings: membership in BRICS and SCO alongside Quad membership; strong ties with Russia alongside deepening ties with the US; energy purchases from Iran alongside military cooperation with Israel. India's response to the Iran-US-Israel conflict follows this established pattern.
- India abstained or took balanced positions on UN resolutions related to the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022–25.
- India has not joined any Western-led sanctions against Russia, Iran, or other states.
- India's position: "dialogue, diplomacy, and restraint" — used consistently across the Russia-Ukraine and West Asia conflicts.
- Strategic autonomy is also justified domestically as a safeguard against being dragged into conflicts that do not directly threaten Indian interests.
Connection to this news: India's refusal to issue a BRICS condemnation of the US-Israel strikes is a direct application of strategic autonomy — preserving equidistance between Washington (India's key economic and technology partner) and Tehran (India's energy and connectivity partner).
The Role of Multilateral Forums in Conflict Mediation
Multilateral groupings like BRICS, G20, SCO, and the UN Security Council can serve as platforms for issuing collective statements, imposing sanctions, or facilitating ceasefires — but their effectiveness depends entirely on member consensus. BRICS is particularly constrained because it has no enforcement mechanism, no permanent secretariat, and decisions must be unanimous. The challenge of issuing any joint statement on the West Asian conflict is compounded by the fact that BRICS members include Iran (a party to the conflict), Saudi Arabia and UAE (which have strategic ties to the US), Russia and China (which openly support condemning the strikes), and India and Brazil (which seek to preserve relations with both sides).
- BRICS does not have a formal conflict-resolution mechanism comparable to the UN Security Council.
- The New Development Bank (NDB), headquartered in Shanghai, is BRICS's primary institutional output but has no political mandate.
- Comparison: G20 (India chaired in 2023) — India successfully navigated a similarly divided membership to issue the New Delhi Declaration, keeping Ukraine language in a watered-down formulation.
- The BRICS 2023 Johannesburg Declaration similarly avoided direct mention of the Russia-Ukraine conflict by name.
Connection to this news: The precedent from India's G20 chairmanship shows India's diplomatic skill in managing fractured multilateral consensus — but the Iran conflict, involving a BRICS member state, presents an even harder balancing act than Ukraine.
Key Facts & Data
- India's 2026 BRICS chairmanship theme: "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability."
- India chairs BRICS for the 4th time (previous: 2012, 2016, 2021).
- BRICS current membership: 10 full members (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa + Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE) + Indonesia (joined Jan 2025).
- Iran became a BRICS member in January 2024.
- 18th BRICS Summit to be hosted by India in 2026.
- US-Israel strikes on Iran began in late February 2026; Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei killed in strikes.
- EAM Jaishankar and Iranian FM Araghchi discussed BRICS's role in the West Asia conflict on March 13, 2026.