Iran urges BRICS group to condemn “international law violations” by US, Israel

At the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi, Iran's Foreign Minister urged BRICS member states to "unequivocally condemn violations of international...

What Happened

At the BRICS Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi, Iran's Foreign Minister urged BRICS member states to "unequivocally condemn violations of international law" by the United States and Israel, citing what Iran called "illegal aggression against Iran."
Iran criticised the UAE's role within BRICS and accused it of having a "special partnership with Israel" — pointing to the Abraham Accords (2020) as the basis of the UAE's opposing position on West Asia.
India's External Affairs Minister responded that "sustained ceasefire, humanitarian access, and a credible pathway towards a durable and peaceful resolution remain essential" — language that balanced humanitarian concern with diplomatic neutrality.
India used the ministerial platform to flag BRICS's potential role in addressing energy, fertiliser, and food security challenges faced by developing nations, particularly in the context of the ongoing Iran conflict disrupting energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz.
The Iran-UAE dispute was the proximate cause of the BRICS grouping failing to issue a joint statement — India released a Chair's Statement instead.
India's intervention underscored the Strait of Hormuz's criticality: India sources approximately half of its crude oil through the strait.

Static Topic Bridges

Strait of Hormuz: Strategic Chokepoint

The Strait of Hormuz is a narrow waterway (at its narrowest, approximately 33 km wide) connecting the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea, bordered by Iran to the north and Oman to the south. It is the world's most critical oil transit chokepoint. In 2024, an average of approximately 20 million barrels per day (b/d) of crude oil and petroleum products transited the strait — approximately 20% of global petroleum liquids consumption and about 25% of global seaborne oil trade. Additionally, roughly one-fifth of global LNG trade (primarily from Qatar) passes through this strait. Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait in response to Western sanctions and military action. A closure, even temporary, would cause immediate disruptions to global energy markets and could trigger sharp price spikes.

Location: Between Iran (north) and Oman (south); connects Persian Gulf to Gulf of Oman.
Width (narrowest): ~33 km; shipping lanes in each direction are only ~3 km wide.
Oil transit (2024): ~20 million barrels/day (b/d); ~20% of global petroleum liquids consumption.
LNG transit: ~20% of global LNG trade (2024).
Key exporters through the strait: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Iraq, Qatar (LNG), Iran.
Limited bypass options: Saudi Arabia's East-West Pipeline (Petroline) to Yanbu; UAE's Habshan-Fujairah pipeline — but capacity is far below strait volumes.
India's dependence: Sources ~50% of crude through the strait; third-largest oil importer globally.

Connection to this news: The Iran war (2026) and threats to Hormuz navigation are not abstract geopolitical events for India — they directly affect fuel prices, fertiliser availability (most of which is petrochemical-derived or imported), and macroeconomic stability. Jaishankar's framing of BRICS as a body that can help address these supply challenges reflects India's material stakes.

International Law and the Use of Force

International law governing the use of force is primarily codified in the United Nations Charter. Article 2(4) prohibits the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state. Article 51 recognises the right of self-defence (individual or collective) if an armed attack occurs against a UN member state. Customary international law adds two further conditions for the lawful use of force: necessity (no other means available) and proportionality (response must be proportionate to the threat). Iran's claim that US-Israeli strikes constitute "illegal aggression" invokes Article 2(4), while the US and Israel contend their actions fall within Article 51.

UN Charter Article 2(4): Prohibition on use of force against territorial integrity or political independence.
UN Charter Article 51: Right of self-defence; applies when "armed attack" occurs; must be reported to UNSC immediately.
UN Charter Article 39: UNSC's power to determine existence of "threat to peace, breach of peace, or act of aggression."
Customary International Law on self-defence: Nicaragua v. United States (ICJ, 1986) — landmark case establishing that self-defence must meet necessity and proportionality tests.
International Court of Justice (ICJ): Principal judicial organ of the UN; resolves disputes between states; cannot enforce judgments but rulings carry moral/political weight.
Responsibility to Protect (R2P): 2005 World Summit Outcome Document concept — if a state fails to protect its population, international community may intervene; R2P remains contested in practice.

Connection to this news: Iran's call for BRICS to condemn the strikes as "international law violations" is a political demand rooted in the Article 2(4) framework. India's measured response — calling for ceasefire and humanitarian access without endorsing Iran's specific condemnation — reflects its strategic position of not picking sides in conflicts where both major powers it engages (the US and Russia/Iran) have divergent interests.

India's Energy Security Architecture

India is the world's third-largest oil importer and third-largest consumer of energy overall. Its energy security is structurally vulnerable because it imports over 85% of its crude oil needs and about 55% of its natural gas. The primary policy framework for energy security includes diversification of supply sources (middle eastern, Russian, African, and Latin American crude), building strategic petroleum reserves (SPR), and investing in renewable energy. The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas oversees this framework. The Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulatory Board (PNGRB) is the statutory regulator for downstream petroleum and natural gas.

India's crude oil import dependence: Over 85% of requirements imported.
Top crude suppliers to India (2024–25): Russia (largest, ~35%), Iraq (~20%), Saudi Arabia (~15%), UAE, others.
Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR): India maintains ~5 million metric tonnes of SPR capacity at Visakhapatnam, Mangaluru, and Padur — roughly 9-10 days of net imports.
Fertiliser-energy link: India imports ~25–30% of its urea requirement; domestic production uses natural gas (a petrochemical). Disruptions to gas/oil imports cascade into fertiliser costs.
IEA membership: India became an Associate Member of the International Energy Agency (IEA) in 2017.

Connection to this news: Jaishankar's explicit mention of "energy, food, fertiliser and health security" challenges reflects India's structural vulnerabilities in all three sectors to Middle East supply disruptions. Using the BRICS platform to signal collective concern is also a signal to global energy markets about the emerging-economy stakes in West Asia stability.

Key Facts & Data

Strait of Hormuz: ~20 million barrels/day oil transit (2024); ~20% of global petroleum consumption; ~20% of global LNG trade.
India's Strait of Hormuz exposure: ~50% of crude oil sourced through it.
UN Charter Article 2(4): Prohibition on use of force (foundational international law norm).
UN Charter Article 51: Right of individual and collective self-defence.
Nicaragua v. United States (ICJ, 1986): Established necessity and proportionality as self-defence criteria.
Abraham Accords (2020): UAE, Bahrain, Sudan, Morocco normalised relations with Israel (brokered by the US).
India's SPR capacity: ~5 million metric tonnes (~9-10 days of net imports); located at Visakhapatnam, Mangaluru, Padur.
India's crude import dependency: Over 85% of requirements.
India became IEA Associate Member: 2017.
BRICS outcome at Delhi: No joint statement; Chair's Statement issued by India.