India Facilitates BRICS Talks on West Asia Conflict Amid Diplomatic Push

India, as the current Chair, has been "facilitating discussions" among member states through the Sherpa channel, they said.

The sources added that the last virtual BRICS Sherpa meeting was held on March 12 to deliberate on the situation.

"Some members of the BRICS are directly involved in the current situation in the West Asia region, which has impacted forging a consensus on a common BRICS position on the ongoing conflict. As Chair of BRICS, India has been facilitating discussions among members through the Sherpa channel. The last virtual BRICS Sherpa meeting was held on 12 March," the sources said.

Sources further said that the Indian leadership has also been "engaging" with leaders of BRICS member countries in the region as part of ongoing diplomatic consultations."India will continue to engage," the sources added.

The conflict in the region escalated following the killing of 86-year-old Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in joint military strikes by the US and Israel on February 28, after which Iran, in its retaliation, targeted Israeli and US assets in several Gulf countries and Israel, causing disruption in the waterway and affecting international energy markets and global economic stability.

Earlier on Thursday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar spoke with Iran's Foreign Minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, during which the two sides discussed bilateral ties and cooperation within the BRICS grouping.

"Had another conversation with Iranian FM Seyed Abbas Araghchi yesterday night. Discussed bilateral matters as also BRICS related issues," Jaishankar stated in a post on X on Friday.

The Iranian Foreign Ministry today, in a statement on X, stated that Araghchi briefed Jaishankar on the latest situation in the region and emphasised the firm resolve of the Iranian government, people and armed forces to exercise what he called their legitimate right to self-defence against the aggressors.

Araghchi also stressed the need for regional and international bodies to condemn the military aggression by the US and Israel against Iran and highlighted the importance of the BRICS grouping as a forum for strengthening multilateral cooperation.

He added it was essential for BRICS to play a constructive role at the current juncture in supporting regional and global stability and security.

"The Iranian Foreign Minister stressed the necessity for regional and international bodies and organisations to condemn the military aggression against Iran. Highlighting the importance and position of BRICS as a forum for developing multilateral cooperation, Araghchi deemed it essential for the institution to play a constructive role at the current juncture in supporting regional and global stability and security," the statement read.

The BRICS is led by five major economies--Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa--with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the UAE, and Indonesia becoming full members of the forum later.

The grouping took formal shape after a meeting of the leaders of Russia, India, and China in St. Petersburg during the G8 Outreach Summit in 2006, and was further institutionalised during the first meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers on the margins of the UN General Assembly in New York later that year.

The first BRIC Summit was subsequently held in Yekaterinburg, Russia, in 2009.

In 2010, it was agreed to expand BRIC to BRICS, with South Africa joining at the 3rd BRICS Summit in Sanya in 2011.

The grouping expanded further in 2024, with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE becoming full members on January 1, 2024. Indonesia joined as a full member in January 2025, while Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan were inducted as partner countries of BRICS.

- ANI