Brics stalls as iran strikes expose fault lines, india in the crossfire
The BRICS economic alliance, once touted as a rising counterweight to Western power, finds itself paralyzed. A recent series of Iranian retaliatory strikes against the UAE and Saudi Arabia – nations with growing ties to the bloc – have laid bare deep divisions, leaving the group unable to issue a unified response to the escalating tensions in the Middle East and putting India, a key member, in a precarious diplomatic position.
The silence speaks volumes
Just weeks after the U.S. and Israel launched devastating aerial attacks on Iran, effectively decapitating its leadership and triggering a global energy crisis, BRICS has remained conspicuously silent. Multiple draft statements, including one explicitly condemning the U.S. and Israeli actions, have been shot down by member states caught on opposing sides of the conflict. The situation isn’t new; BRICS previously failed to condemn the U.S. seizure of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, a pattern of inaction that threatens the group’s relevance on the world stage.
Iran, now a BRICS member since 2024, has directly pressed India to denounce the U.S.-Israeli campaign, a request complicated by New Delhi’s own intricate web of alliances. The UAE and Saudi Arabia, both BRICS members since 2024 with Saudi Arabia currently evaluating a formal invitation, are unlikely to welcome such criticism. China and Russia, predictably, are offering tacit support to Iran, further deepening the chasm within the alliance.
India's tightrope walk
India faces a particularly acute dilemma. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Tel Aviv just days before the conflict erupted, underscoring the nation’s close ties with Israel. Yet, India also maintains a historic relationship with Iran, critically reliant on Iranian oil and gas flowing through the Strait of Hormuz – a waterway experiencing near-closure since the outbreak of hostilities. India is, remarkably, one of the few nations successfully negotiating safe passage for its tankers through the strait.
Nearly 10 million Indian citizens work in the UAE and other Gulf nations, representing a significant economic and humanitarian consideration for New Delhi. As Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian bluntly told Modi, the BRICS nations must “perform an independent role to stop aggressions” and safeguard regional stability. The economic realities of the emerging nations comprising the bloc also contribute to the inertia; BRICS was envisioned as a forum for developing nations, not a vehicle for sweeping geopolitical pronouncements.
The contrast with BRICS’s condemnation of attacks on Iran in July 2025 and its call for Israeli withdrawal from Gaza highlights the current paralysis. The bloc's internal divisions have morphed into a cautionary tale – a testament to the challenges of forging consensus among nations with diverging interests and geopolitical priorities.
The silence is a calculation. It’s a recognition that any decisive action would alienate powerful members and risk fracturing the fragile alliance. But as the Middle East teeters on the brink of wider conflict, the BRICS’s hesitancy threatens to render it a mere spectator, its potential as a global force diminished.