Top BRICS bloc diplomats meet in India amid Iran war

Top diplomats of the BRICS bloc on Thursday met in the Indian capital New Delhi amid the continuing US-Israeli war on Iran, a member of the group.

During the two-day meeting, India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar is hosting his counterparts from the 11-member bloc, which began in 2009-2010 with Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. In later years a host of other nations joined, including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iran.

BRICS foreign ministers and heads of delegation from member and partner countries are taking part in the meeting, said officials.

The meeting will see the diplomats "exchange views on global and regional issues of mutual interest," they added.

With India serving as the bloc's chair, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is not attending the meeting as Beijing is currently hosting US President Donald Trump for a summit with President Xi Jinping.

The meeting in New Delhi comes amid the US-Israeli war with Iran, which started on Feb. 28 but is currently under a ceasefire.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi is attending the meeting.

The BRICS top diplomats will also meet jointly with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On Friday, the BRICS foreign ministers will also hold meetings, after which a joint statement is expected.

The bloc aims to create alternative financial mechanisms, curb dollar dependency, and increase Global South representation in international institutions, challenging Western-led governance structures.

India's 2026 BRICS chair is guided by the theme "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability."

Together, BRICS countries represent over 40% of the global population and over 32% of global GDP.