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India’s hosting of the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meet has emerged as a key diplomatic test for the grouping, with Hamed Mousavi, Professor of Political Science at the University of Tehran, urging the bloc to take a more active role in mediating the escalating conflict between Iran and the United States amid rising tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Mousavi said BRICS had the economic and political weight to intervene in the crisis and help restore stability to global energy markets.
“BRICS should become involved in peace-making between the two sides. I think it really has the potential to become a mediator here,” he said.
The comments come as India hosts foreign ministers from BRICS nations at a time of growing geopolitical uncertainty, economic disruption, and energy security concerns.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is chairing the meeting in New Delhi, with Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and South Africa’s Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola among those attending.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also held meetings with Araghchi and Lavrov on the sidelines of the summit. Araghchi’s three-day visit marks the first high-level diplomatic engagement between India and Iran since the West Asia conflict intensified.
The crisis in the Gulf region and disruptions to global energy flows have dominated discussions at the summit. Jaishankar said safe and unimpeded maritime movement through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea remained critical for the global economy, while stressing the need for “dialogue and diplomacy”.
Mousavi said Iran expected stronger backing from BRICS nations after what Tehran describes as an “illegal attack” by the US and Israel. However, he acknowledged that differences within the bloc, especially involving the UAE, could make a consensus difficult.
“I think if BRICS chooses to become more involved in world politics — and this is a test for BRICS — then there is a real opportunity for it to play a more important role in global affairs,” Mousavi said.
He also warned that tensions around the Strait of Hormuz would continue to affect global oil markets unless there was a broader agreement between Tehran and Washington.
According to Mousavi, Iran has allowed limited movement of ships belonging to “friendly countries such as India and China”, but ruled out large-scale easing of restrictions without relief from US pressure.
“The only important leverage Iran has right now is to keep oil prices high until the Americans decide to lift the blockade,” he said, adding that Iran would not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz until restrictions on Iranian shipping were eased.
Former Foreign Secretary Shashank said BRICS would need to balance geopolitical tensions with economic realities, especially as several member countries continue to face US sanctions and trade restrictions.
He said the grouping’s increasing focus on local currency trade and alternative payment arrangements was driven more by practical necessity than ideology. “One is going through de-dollarisation not because we want de-dollarisation, but because we want our own national currencies to be used more and more,” Shashank said.
Shashank also argued that the conflict was no longer limited to regional actors. “The conflict involving Iran is not just about Iran and Israel. It is mostly about Iran and the USA,” he said, adding that the wider fallout was hurting developing economies, including India, through rising energy and shipping costs.
Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi used the BRICS platform to call on member states to condemn what he described as violations of international law by the US and Israel. He also accused the UAE of direct involvement in attacks against Iran and said Abu Dhabi should reconsider its “alliance with Israel”.
Also Read | BRICS foreign ministers meeting: Jaishankar welcomes Araghchi, says dialogue key amid global uncertainty
The latest round of discussions in New Delhi is expected to shape the agenda for the 18th Annual BRICS Summit 2026 scheduled for September. BRICS now includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE and Indonesia, representing nearly half of the world’s population and around 40% of global GDP.
India had earlier hosted the BRICS Deputy Foreign Ministers and Special Envoys for the Middle East and North Africa meeting in April, but that gathering ended without a joint statement after disagreements between Iran and the UAE over the West Asia conflict.
Speaking to CNBC-TV18, Mousavi said BRICS had the economic and political weight to intervene in the crisis and help restore stability to global energy markets.
“BRICS should become involved in peace-making between the two sides. I think it really has the potential to become a mediator here,” he said.
The comments come as India hosts foreign ministers from BRICS nations at a time of growing geopolitical uncertainty, economic disruption, and energy security concerns.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is chairing the meeting in New Delhi, with Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and South Africa’s Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola among those attending.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also held meetings with Araghchi and Lavrov on the sidelines of the summit. Araghchi’s three-day visit marks the first high-level diplomatic engagement between India and Iran since the West Asia conflict intensified.
The crisis in the Gulf region and disruptions to global energy flows have dominated discussions at the summit. Jaishankar said safe and unimpeded maritime movement through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea remained critical for the global economy, while stressing the need for “dialogue and diplomacy”.
Mousavi said Iran expected stronger backing from BRICS nations after what Tehran describes as an “illegal attack” by the US and Israel. However, he acknowledged that differences within the bloc, especially involving the UAE, could make a consensus difficult.
“I think if BRICS chooses to become more involved in world politics — and this is a test for BRICS — then there is a real opportunity for it to play a more important role in global affairs,” Mousavi said.
He also warned that tensions around the Strait of Hormuz would continue to affect global oil markets unless there was a broader agreement between Tehran and Washington.
According to Mousavi, Iran has allowed limited movement of ships belonging to “friendly countries such as India and China”, but ruled out large-scale easing of restrictions without relief from US pressure.
“The only important leverage Iran has right now is to keep oil prices high until the Americans decide to lift the blockade,” he said, adding that Iran would not fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz until restrictions on Iranian shipping were eased.
Former Foreign Secretary Shashank said BRICS would need to balance geopolitical tensions with economic realities, especially as several member countries continue to face US sanctions and trade restrictions.
He said the grouping’s increasing focus on local currency trade and alternative payment arrangements was driven more by practical necessity than ideology. “One is going through de-dollarisation not because we want de-dollarisation, but because we want our own national currencies to be used more and more,” Shashank said.
Shashank also argued that the conflict was no longer limited to regional actors. “The conflict involving Iran is not just about Iran and Israel. It is mostly about Iran and the USA,” he said, adding that the wider fallout was hurting developing economies, including India, through rising energy and shipping costs.
Iranian Foreign Minister Araghchi used the BRICS platform to call on member states to condemn what he described as violations of international law by the US and Israel. He also accused the UAE of direct involvement in attacks against Iran and said Abu Dhabi should reconsider its “alliance with Israel”.
Also Read | BRICS foreign ministers meeting: Jaishankar welcomes Araghchi, says dialogue key amid global uncertainty
The latest round of discussions in New Delhi is expected to shape the agenda for the 18th Annual BRICS Summit 2026 scheduled for September. BRICS now includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE and Indonesia, representing nearly half of the world’s population and around 40% of global GDP.
India had earlier hosted the BRICS Deputy Foreign Ministers and Special Envoys for the Middle East and North Africa meeting in April, but that gathering ended without a joint statement after disagreements between Iran and the UAE over the West Asia conflict.
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