Overview
- India acknowledges it has been unable to bridge member differences on the US-Israel–Iran conflict while serving as BRICS chair, with some members directly involved in the fighting.
- Iran has urged BRICS to condemn US and Israeli actions, a request Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi raised with India’s S. Jaishankar on March 12.
- Tehran has expanded drone and missile strikes to Saudi Arabia and the UAE, including hits on oil-related infrastructure and a March 16 incident that temporarily halted flights near Dubai International Airport.
- New Delhi is engaging all members through the BRICS Sherpa channel, which last met virtually on March 12, as analysts judge a joint statement unlikely or unlikely to shift events on the ground.
- Energy security risks are intensifying with disruptions around the Strait of Hormuz, and an expert reports Iran is permitting India-flagged ships to transit on a case-by-case basis.