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India Brokers BRICS Consensus on New Delhi Declaration

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BRICS leaders adopted the New Delhi Declaration on Saturday, backing dialogue over conflict despite Iran-UAE divisions on West Asia.

India secured a diplomatic win at the BRICS Summit on Saturday when member nations agreed on a joint declaration, overcoming a standoff between Iran and the United Arab Emirates over the crisis in West Asia. The final text steered clear of naming the war outright, resting instead on a call for dialogue and diplomacy to end conflicts.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the adoption of the BRICS New Delhi Declaration at the close of the first day's talks. Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian were present. According to people familiar with the matter, negotiators settled the wording, particularly the paragraph on West Asia, late Saturday afternoon, just hours before the document went public around 4:30 pm.

The agreement capped months of doubt. Sharp disagreements between Tehran and Abu Dhabi had stalled joint statements at several preparatory meetings. Because BRICS decisions rest on consensus, a single objection could have sunk the declaration entirely.

The paragraph on West Asia voiced "deep concern over the continued escalation of tensions" and urged all sides to show maximum restraint and avoid steps that might worsen the situation. It made no mention of Iran by name, nor of the American and Israeli strikes on Iran in February that set off the conflict. The text also pressed for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure under the UN Charter, alongside respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.

Leaders backed New Delhi's long-held view that talks and diplomacy are the only routes to settling disputes. They also called for coordinated efforts to keep global trade and energy moving. "We encourage increasing efforts, through dialogue and diplomacy, towards a long-term understanding that will contribute to lasting peace, security and stability in the region," the declaration stated, adding a stress on keeping supply chains and energy flows intact in line with international law.

Why Iran and the UAE moved

Several shifts made the compromise possible. Iran and the UAE dropped earlier demands that the document condemn attacks on their soil. Russia, meanwhile, pushed to soften language on conflicts that might read as a reference to Ukraine. Tehran also stepped up efforts to repair ties with major players across the region.

That outreach was visible on the summit's sidelines. Pezeshkian met Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Saturday. Iran is due to sit down with members of the Gulf Cooperation Council and Iraq in Oman on September 14 to discuss transit through the Strait of Hormuz - the first such gathering since the West Asia conflict began.

Ajay Srivastava of the Global Trade Research Initiative said the declaration, by avoiding names, delivered a balanced signal: the United States and Israel should hold off on striking Iran, Iran should not hit back at Gulf neighbours such as the UAE, and every party must shield civilians, honour sovereignty and choose diplomacy. He described the reference to protecting trade and energy flows as a warning against military moves that could choke the Hormuz corridor. "Given BRICS' conflicting interests and internal constraints, securing consensus on such a clear position represents a diplomatic win for India," he said.

A softer line than Rio

Observers pointed out that the New Delhi text broke from recent BRICS documents. The 2024 summit in Russia and the 2025 gathering in Brazil both spoke more directly. The Rio de Janeiro Declaration had condemned the June 2025 strikes on Iran and recalled national positions on Ukraine; the New Delhi version referenced neither the Iran nor the Ukraine conflict head-on.

On Gaza, the declaration was more pointed. It expressed deep concern at continued violence despite a ceasefire and urged all parties to uphold the truce and allow unhindered humanitarian access. It called for an end to any policy aimed at forcibly displacing Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and warned against arrangements that could undermine Palestinian rights or entrench occupation.

The leaders reaffirmed support for a two-state solution, backing a sovereign, independent and viable Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and said a lasting settlement could come only through peaceful means. BRICS also endorsed India's zero-tolerance stance on terrorism, rejected double standards in countering it, and condemned in the strongest terms the Pahalgam terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

BRICS New Delhi Declaration, Narendra Modi BRICS, West Asia crisis, Iran UAE, Strait of Hormuz, India diplomacy, Palestine two-state solution, Pahalgam attack

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