Hurdles stall common Brics position on West Asia as some members ‘directly involved’

S Jaishankar told a briefing that India is talking to all Brics members on the situation in West Asia “so that a consensus position can be evolved”.

Published on: Mar 14, 2026, 01:37:35 IST

By Rezaul H Laskar

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The forging of a common position within Brics on the Iran-US conflict has been impacted as some members of the grouping are involved in developments in West Asia, people familiar with the matter said on Friday.

Jaishankar and Iran FM Araghchi discuss Brics cooperation

Iranian foreign minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi had emphasised the role of Brics, currently led by India, in playing a constructive role to support security and stability in the region during a phone call with external affairs minister S Jaishankar on Thursday night.

External affairs minister S Jaishankar told a media briefing on Friday that India is talking to all Brics members on the situation in West Asia “so that a consensus position can be evolved”.

The people cited above said on condition of anonymity that hurdles have arisen in these discussions as some members of Brics are “directly involved” in the situation in West Asia.

Also Read: Jaishankar, Iran FM discuss Brics role in regional security amid West Asia conflict

“This has impacted the forging of a consensus on a common Brics position on the ongoing conflict,” a person said.

Besides Iran, which joined Brics in January 2024, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is also indirectly involved in the conflict.

The people said India, as the chair of Brics, has been facilitating discussions among members of the grouping through the Sherpa channel. The last virtual Brics Sherpa meeting was held on March 12, they said.

In addition, India's leadership has been engaging with the leaders of Brics members in the region, the people said. India will continue these engagements, they said.

Brics has so far not issued any statement on the developments in West Asia. India is expected to host the Brics Summit in the third quarter of this year.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Rezaul H Laskar
Rezaul Hasan Laskar is Foreign Editor with the Hindustan Times, which he joined in 2015. He began as a journalist in his hometown of Shillong in northeast India and has worked in newspapers and wire services over the years. He moved to New Delhi in 1997 and initially focused on defence, national security, Jammu and Kashmir and the northeast, while also working of foreign policy and international relations. He has been part of the media delegation accompanying PMs on foreign visits and has reported from destinations ranging from Tibet to Ukraine. Between 2007 and 2013, he was the Press Trust of India correspondent in Pakistan, one of only two Indian journalists allowed to report from the country. He extensively covered Pakistan’s domestic politics and the life of the common people, as well as the fallout of the 2008 Mumbai attacks on India-Pakistan relations and the subsequent trial in Pakistan of the suspects involved in the attack. As part of his reportage in Pakistan, he travelled the breadth of the country, from the Swat Valley to Balochistan. Reza’s first gig in journalism was writing a weekly music column, and music – especially classic rock – remains a keen interest. He is also a movie buff and a keen photographer.Read More

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