BRICS consensus on West Asia uncertain as Iran, UAE spar at meeting

While talks on the BRICS foreign ministers’ joint statement appeared to be balanced on a knife’s edge on the first day, the situation in West Asia remained uncertain. Diplomatic sources said efforts to find common ground between the UAE and Iran are still ongoing, even as the 2 countries stand firm in their positions and even clashed in meetings. While the UAE sought condemnation of Iran’s actions, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi called on member states to “unequivocally condemn the United States and Israel’s violations of international law, including their illegal aggression against Iran.” Argachi accused the Arab country of directly engaging in aggression against Iran. The accusation did not come during Iran’s national statement but in response to UAE junior foreign minister Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar’s “basement” claim, according to Iranian reports. “In fact, I must say that the UAE was directly involved in the aggression against Iran. When the war of aggression against Iran started, they (UAE) refused to even condemn,” Araghchi said, accusing the UAE of providing military bases, airspace, land and facilities to the US and Israel. “If you want Israel to provide your security, this is the result. If you want America to provide your security, this is the result you are complaining about now. Therefore, I strongly advise my brothers in the Emirates to reconsider their policy towards Iran,” he said to the UAE minister, according to Iranian state media. The meeting of foreign ministers concluded with the final session on Friday morning. If there is no consensus on a joint statement, the meeting will conclude with a chair’s statement, similar to last month’s meeting of special envoys. Notably, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in his welcome address to the meeting emphasized that it is essential for the smooth progress of BRICS that “future members” fully appreciate and subscribe to the group’s consensus on various important issues. He was talking about institutional developments, including integration of new members through stocktake and updating of existing systems. Both Iran and the United Arab Emirates joined the grouping of major emerging economies in 2024, along with Egypt and Ethiopia. Araghchi also raised the issue of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “secret” visit to the UAE during the war, which Abu Dhabi has denied. “Just yesterday, it was revealed that Netanyahu traveled to the UAE during the war. It is also revealed that they participated in this attack and may even work against us directly. So, the UAE is an active partner in this aggression, and there is no doubt about it,” said Araghchi. Delivering Iran’s national statement, the minister called on the BRICS to prevent the politicization of international institutions and take firm action to “stop the ceasefire and end impunity for those who violate the UN Charter”. “We believe that BRICS can and must be one of the main pillars in building a more just, balanced and humane global system; an order that can never be right,” said Araghchi.