Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the United Arab Emirates blocked a final joint statement during a BRICS foreign ministers meeting [1].
The incident highlights the growing friction within the expanded BRICS bloc as member states struggle to align their foreign policies regarding West Asia. The inability to reach a consensus underscores how bilateral ties with Israel and the U.S. can disrupt multilateral cooperation among emerging economies.
Araghchi said following the meeting of BRICS officials held in New Delhi [2]. He identified the UAE as the member state responsible for stopping the final statement, citing Abu Dhabi's special relationship with Israel [1].
According to Araghchi, the presence of U.S. assets in the region further influenced the decision [3]. He said that the current regional conflict has demonstrated that the U.S. is not a source of security for these nations, but rather a source of insecurity [1].
"It is a matter of fact that the final statement was blocked by a member-state due to its special relationship with Israel," Araghchi said [1]. "The state also houses U.S. assets in the region. The war has shown that the U.S. is not a source of security for them, but a source of insecurity" [1].
The meeting in New Delhi was intended to coordinate positions among the bloc's members [3]. However, the diplomatic rift between Tehran and Abu Dhabi over their respective alignments in the Middle East prevented a unified voice on the issues facing West Asia [2].
“The final statement was blocked by a member-state due to its special relationship with Israel.”
This diplomatic clash illustrates the internal contradictions of the expanded BRICS alliance. While the group seeks to create a multipolar world order independent of Western hegemony, the individual strategic dependencies of its members—such as the UAE's security ties with the U.S. and diplomatic normalization with Israel—create a ceiling for the group's ability to produce unified geopolitical statements.
