Modi forges BRICS consensus in shadow of worsening Iran war

Russian President Vladimir Putin (L), Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (C) and Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) take part in a joint plantation during the BRICS Summit in New Delhi on Saturday. | India's Press Information Bureau / via REUTERS

BLOOMBERG

Sep 13, 2026

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi pulled off an apparent diplomatic coup on Saturday, steering rival BRICS nations toward a strongly-worded joint statement despite opposing positions over the escalating war in the Middle East.

At a two-day summit that began in New Delhi on Saturday, the 10 full members and Saudi Arabia stopped short of naming countries, but called for restraint and for the avoidance of actions that “could further aggravate the situation.” The declaration also raised “serious concern over deliberate attacks” on civilian infrastructure and nuclear facilities.

Negotiations lasted into the early hours of Saturday and were complicated by the need to secure agreement among countries including Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which stand on different sides of the Persian Gulf conflict, according to an Indian official, who asked not to be identified because the discussions were private.

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