Abbas Araghchi arrives in India for high-stakes BRICS meeting amid Gulf tensions

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday for a high-stakes meeting of BRICS foreign ministers, hosted by India ahead of the bloc’s annual summit later this year. The two-day talks, scheduled for May 14 and 15, will be chaired by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

India welcomed Araghchi on his arrival. Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X: "A very warm welcome to Foreign Minister of Iran, Syed Abbas Araghchi, on his arrival in New Delhi for the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting."

Araghchi landed aboard an Iranian aircraft named "Minab168", a symbolic reference to the 168 girls killed in a US missile strike on a school in the southern city of Minab during the US-Israel war on Iran. The aircraft name has become a powerful symbol inside Iran, where officials frequently invoke the Minab attack as evidence of US-Israeli attack on civilians.

Foreign ministers and senior delegations from BRICS member and partner countries are expected to attend the gathering, which comes at a volatile moment for the grouping as divisions deepen over the Iran conflict and the future direction of the bloc.

WEST ASIA CONFLICT LOOMS OVER BRICS TALKS

Iran has been pushing BRICS members, particularly India as the current chair, to take a stronger diplomatic position against the US-Israel military campaign. Tehran had earlier urged New Delhi to use its "independent role" within BRICS to help halt hostilities.

But divisions inside the grouping remain sharp.

Last month, BRICS officials failed to issue a joint statement on the conflict after disagreements emerged between Iran and the United Arab Emirates over accusations tied to attacks on energy infrastructure in the Gulf. Diplomats familiar with the talks said those disagreements complicated India’s efforts to forge a consensus position ahead of the foreign ministers’ conclave. It remains unclear whether the current meeting will produce a unified statement on the war.

CHINA’S WANG YI TO MISS MEETING

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi will skip the BRICS gathering because of US President Donald Trump’s ongoing state visit to Beijing, which overlaps with the meeting in New Delhi. Beijing has instead deputed Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong to attend on China’s behalf.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is among the senior officials who have confirmed participation. The foreign ministers are also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the visit.

INDIA PUSHES BROADER BRICS AGENDA

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the meeting will focus on "global and regional issues of mutual interest".

One session will centre on the theme "BRICS@20: Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability", while another will focus on reforming global governance and multilateral institutions.

The meeting is also expected to test how far BRICS can maintain internal cohesion as geopolitical tensions increasingly divide member states on security, energy and diplomatic priorities.

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With inputs from agencies