The BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting did not issue a joint statement, and the score between Iran and the Gulf countries has effectively been settled—so to speak. As this Middle East chess game keeps going, the board keeps getting more and more fractured.

ME News report: May 16 (UTC+8) marked the conclusion of the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting held in New Delhi, India. Due to clear disagreements among member countries over the Iran war and the Middle East situation, a joint statement was not issued. During the meeting, representatives from each country set out their respective positions and exchanged views on regional security issues. Some member countries expressed reservations regarding the Gaza situation, as well as security issues in the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Alaragchi emphasized at the meeting that Iran’s sovereignty is indivisible, and called for condemning the military actions of the U.S. and Israel. In addition, Iran accused some regional countries of indirect involvement in the conflict. The UAE and some Gulf countries were alleged to have security cooperation with the U.S. and Israel; the UAE denied this, saying its position is inconsistent with the reports. Analysts noted that the failure to reach a joint statement shows that strategic differences among BRICS countries on Middle East security issues have intensified. (Source: MLio