BRICS Joint Declaration 2026: How Iran and UAE Reached Consensus at New Delhi Summit
The BRICS Summit 2026 in New Delhi produced an important diplomatic outcome: Iran and the UAE agreed to a common BRICS Joint Declaration despite holding sharply different positions on the ongoing Middle East conflict.
This makes the declaration significant not only for what BRICS said, but also for the fact that its members were able to reach consensus.
Why was the BRICS Joint Declaration significant?
Iran and the UAE view the regional conflict very differently.
Iran maintains that it is responding to aggression and defending itself, while the UAE has condemned Iranian attacks on its territory and maintains that it has the right to defend its sovereignty.
Instead of attempting to resolve this fundamental disagreement, the BRICS declaration used an important diplomatic formulation: “recalling our respective national positions.”
In other words, members did not have to abandon their individual positions in order to find common ground.
BRICS then called for maximum restraint, protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and a return to dialogue and diplomacy.
What are the key points of the BRICS New Delhi Declaration?
Beyond the Middle East conflict, the declaration addressed wider geopolitical and economic concerns.
BRICS stressed the importance of preventing further escalation and maintaining the smooth flow of global trade, supply chains and energy. It also opposed unilateral tariffs and trade restrictions and reiterated its demand for greater representation of emerging economies and the Global South in international institutions.
Iran-UAE meeting at the BRICS Summit
The diplomatic significance extended beyond the declaration itself.
On the sidelines of the New Delhi summit, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian met Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The meeting provided another channel for discussions around de-escalation, regional stability and diplomacy at a time of serious tensions between Iran and the UAE.
Why does this matter for BRICS and India?
The real test for an expanded BRICS is whether countries with very different strategic interests can continue working together when their interests clash.
The New Delhi Declaration demonstrated that members can preserve their individual national positions while still negotiating a minimum common diplomatic position.
For India, which hosted the summit, achieving that consensus also highlighted New Delhi's role as a diplomatic bridge within an increasingly diverse BRICS.
Watch the short video above for a quick explanation of how Iran and the UAE reached common ground and why the BRICS Joint Declaration 2026 matters for India, the Middle East and global geopolitics.
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