The BRICS group, originally made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, has expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
Iran has urged India, which holds the BRICS chairmanship for 2026, to use the platform to build consensus condemning U.S. and Israeli actions in the Gulf conflict.
Differences have reportedly emerged between Iran and the United Arab Emirates, which are on opposite sides of the conflict that began on February 28. The latest tensions follow reports that the UAE and Saudi Arabia carried out strikes on Iran in response to Iranian attacks.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi is expected to arrive in New Delhi late Wednesday for the May 14–15 gathering. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov is also expected to attend.
It remains unclear who will represent the UAE at the meeting.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in March that it had been difficult to build consensus within BRICS because some member states were directly involved in the conflict.
However, another Indian ministry official told Reuters that New Delhi remained hopeful a joint statement could still be achieved after the latest round of talks.
Former Indian diplomat Manjeev Singh Puri said the participation of nearly all BRICS foreign ministers was a positive sign for efforts to strengthen cooperation among emerging economies and countries of the global south.
He added that while political solutions remain difficult, the meeting itself could help create a path forward.
The conflict has also driven up global energy prices, forcing several BRICS countries, including India, to introduce emergency economic measures aimed at protecting consumers and stabilizing markets.
China is expected to maintain a neutral position due to its close relations with both Iran and Sunni-majority Arab states. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is not expected to attend because of U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing this week.
China will instead be represented by its Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong.