BRICS Confronts West Asia Crisis Amid Iran-UAE Discord

The opening day of the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi laid bare the stark differences between Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the West Asia conflict, underscoring the hurdles the bloc faces in forming a unified stance. Heated exchanges between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and the UAE's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar marked the first sessions of the meeting.

Amid escalating tensions, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stepped in to temper the situation. In his speech, Araghchi portrayed Iran as a victim of illegal expansionism and called on BRICS nations to condemn violations of international law by the United States and Israel, urging resistance against Western hegemony.

Conversely, Al Marar criticized Iran for its attacks on neighboring countries, leading to a further exchange of criticisms regarding UAE's cooperation with the US. These conflicting views have hindered the BRICS bloc from reaching a consensus on a joint declaration concerning the crucial West Asia issue, as member nations navigate economic fallout, particularly energy-supply disruptions, and US trade policies.

(With inputs from agencies.)