Delhi’s balancing act: BRICS serves as a stage for West Asia diplomacy

The ongoing conflict in West Asia, the closure of key maritime trade routes and the resulting supply disruption put the BRICS Summit in highlight as Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian’s attended the summit along with other players from the Middle East.

It was a tough diplomatic test for Delhi, but the hosts overcame all the challenges and managed a carefully negotiated language on the West Asia conflict. Moreover, an unanticipated Iran-UAE engagement placed India at the centre of a wider regional diplomatic effort.

The net result has enhanced Delhi’s increasingly important role as a diplomatic bridge in a fractured region.

The challenge for New Delhi was to prevent divisions over the West Asia conflict from spilling at the forum. While Iran sought stronger condemnation of Israeli and US actions, the Gulf countries had their own security concerns.

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The New Delhi Declaration proved the diplomatic prowess, as instead of sharp rhetoric by either side, BRICS settled on language centred on the deteriorating situation in West Asia, civilian protection, sovereignty, restraint and the need for dialogue and diplomacy.

The result was significant as it allowed Iran to remain within the consensus without forcing other BRICS members to endorse its position on the conflict.

But the most revealing moment came outside the formal summit proceedings.

Pezeshkian’s meeting with UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan brought two regional actors into direct conversation at a time when their interests differ and have been affected by the conflict.

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The meeting was the highest-level engagement between Tehran and Abu Dhabi since the outbreak of the conflict.

BRICS provided a diplomatic platform and cover for an engagement that was considerably more difficult amid the raging tensions.

The summit fully demonstrated India’s balancing act. It became a platform where rivals could talk, while the grouping focused on a common diplomatic vocabulary.

Pezeshkian’s visit was significant as it was his first trip to India as president and the first visit by an Iranian president to the country in more than eight years.

India reiterated its position that disputes must be addressed through dialogue and diplomacy, while stressing the importance of protecting freedom of navigation, commercial shipping and seafarers.

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Earlier BRICS meetings hosted by India had struggled to produce consensus on the Iran conflict, with Tehran seeking stronger criticism of US and Israeli actions while the UAE pushed for language reflecting concerns over Iranian attacks on Gulf targets.

The final declaration avoided assigning blame to either side. It expressed serious concern over the deteriorating situation in West Asia and called for maximum restraint, dialogue, diplomacy, respect for sovereignty, protection of civilians and the safeguarding of maritime stability.

The summit served as a test of the group’s cohesion and influence, with PM Narendra Modi advocating for global institutional reform and enhanced cooperation.