Modi Meets Iran's Pezeshkian in New Delhi as BRICS Leaders Gather

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in New Delhi on Friday, shortly before the city hosts leaders of the BRICS grouping this weekend.

The meeting also brought Modi together with members of the Iranian delegation, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Leaders of the BRICS nations are due to convene in the Indian capital as the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, along with tensions between the United States and China, test the bloc's capacity to act in concert.

As host, India will look to balance its ties with China and Russia against its expanding partnerships with the United States and other Western powers. Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Pezeshkian are among those expected to attend.

Iran is a member of the expanded BRICS, while Russia remains one of its most influential members. China maintains close relations with both countries, even as India keeps up ties with Russia, Iran, the United States and Europe.

That breadth of relationships makes it hard for the grouping to settle on a strong common position on major conflicts. Its members include countries with competing regional ambitions, among them India and China, Iran and Saudi Arabia, and Egypt and Ethiopia, alongside other nations of the Global South.

The Iran-US confrontation poses a particular challenge. BRICS members have differing ties to Washington and differing interests in the Middle East, complicating any unified response. China and Russia have backed Iran in international forums, while India has taken a cautious approach. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have their own tensions with Tehran.

BRICS takes its name from the initials of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. It has since expanded to include 11 countries that together account for roughly half the world's population and a substantial share of its energy, resources and economic output.