BRICS Foreign Ministers Meet in New Delhi as Iran Urges Condemnation of US and Israel Amid Middle East War

May 14, 2026

BRICS foreign ministers convened in New Delhi on May 14, 2026 for a two-day meeting to prepare for the September 2026 summit, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi calling for condemnation of alleged US and Israeli violations of international law. The meeting occurs on the 76th day of war on Iran, amid competing blockades of the Strait of Hormuz—through which 20 percent of global oil and gas flows—with the US imposing a naval blockade in April 2026 and Iran restricting shipping since early March 2026. The bloc faces deep divisions over the conflict, with Iran and UAE clashing at an April meeting and India attempting to balance relations with Iran, UAE, and Israel, resulting in failed consensus statements. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi skipped the meeting due to US President Donald Trump's concurrent state visit to Beijing for talks with President Xi Jinping.

BRICS foreign ministers meeting

▪Saudi Arabia has yet to join BRICS formally as of May 14, 2026
▪The BRICS foreign ministers' meeting is being held to prepare for the 18th BRICS summit in September 2026
▪A meeting of BRICS foreign ministers began in New Delhi, India on May 14, 2026
▪Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined the BRICS foreign ministers in a conference call on May 14, 2026 at 1pm local time from Seva Teerth
▪Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono arrived in New Delhi on May 13, 2026 to attend the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting
▪BRICS extended invitations to Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in 2023
▪Indonesia's BRICS membership was approved during the 2023 summit in Johannesburg
▪The BRICS foreign ministers' meeting is a two-day event taking place on May 14 and May 15, 2026

Iran war tensions

▪Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi called on BRICS member states to condemn the US and Israel over what Abbas Aragchi called their "unlawful aggression" against Tehran
▪Iran and the UAE clashed at an April 2026 BRICS Deputy Foreign Ministers meeting over how to address the US-Israel war on Iran
▪The US announced a naval blockade on ships entering or leaving Iranian ports in April 2026
▪The war on Iran entered its 76th day on May 14, 2026

Strait of Hormuz blockade

▪Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar called for "safe, unimpeded maritime flows" through international waters on May 14, 2026
▪The Strait of Hormuz remains under blockade as of May 14, 2026
▪Since early March 2026, Iran has restricted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz

Trump-Xi bilateral talks

▪United States President Donald Trump made a state visit to China that coincided with the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting on May 14, 2026
▪Donald Trump joined Chinese President Xi Jinping for a working lunch on May 15, 2026
▪Donald Trump held bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on May 14, 2026

BRICS internal divisions

▪A BRICS Deputy Foreign Ministers and Special Envoys for the Middle East and North Africa meeting in New Delhi in April 2026 ended without a joint statement
▪At the April 2026 BRICS Deputy Foreign Ministers meeting, India attempted to soften criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza, leading to a failure to arrive at a consensus