Iran, UAE Leaders Meet on BRICS Sidelines in New Delhi

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, on the margins of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, in a diplomatic opening between two states that have been at odds during the ongoing US-Iran war.

Iran's official news agency released video footage of the encounter but gave no account of what was discussed. People familiar with the developments said the two leaders took up a range of regional and international issues, stressing the importance of supporting de-escalation, lowering tensions and achieving stability in the region, along with expanding prospects for peace and development for its peoples.

The meeting came as the summit, chaired by India this year, unfolded at a difficult moment for the grouping. An expanded BRICS now includes Iran as well as the UAE and Saudi Arabia, whose interests and positions on the Middle East conflict diverge sharply. New Delhi, which also maintains significant strategic and economic ties with the United States and the Gulf states, had to strike a careful balance.

India facilitated intensive negotiations among member nations, particularly involving Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, to reach consensus on a joint statement despite their competing geopolitical interests.

On Saturday evening, Prime Minister Narendra Modi confirmed the adoption of the New Delhi Declaration after the first day of the two-day summit at Bharat Mandapam. The declaration was seen as a significant diplomatic breakthrough, with leaders arriving in the capital hoping to bridge divisions between Iran and the UAE over the Gulf conflict, which is being fought as Washington and Tehran resume tit-for-tat strikes in their six-month-old war.

In the declaration, the bloc called for the implementation of relevant UN General Assembly and Security Council resolutions and urged all parties to ensure the maintenance of a ceasefire and full, unhindered humanitarian access in the Gaza Strip. The joint statement did not name any country but condemned unilateral aggression by any state. Both Iran and the UAE approved it.

Addressing the summit, Pezeshkian urged the forum to take practical measures against unilateral and inhumane sanctions, saying BRICS must be a voice for justice. He said members had a responsibility to oppose the normalisation of attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities, arguing that any action against such sites poses a direct threat to international peace and security. He also described the question of Palestine and the Palestinian people's right to self-determination as a serious test of the credibility and legitimacy of global governance, calling on BRICS to play an active role.