BRICS leaders meeting in New Delhi on September 12, 2026, adopted a joint declaration that voiced concern about escalating tensions in the Middle East and urged members and parties to exercise restraint, resolve disputes through dialogue and diplomacy, and avoid actions that could deepen conflict.

The leaders’ declaration expressed "serious concern" about deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure and on peaceful nuclear facilities that are under full safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and said nuclear safety and security must be protected during armed conflicts.

The New Delhi text criticised unilateral coercive economic measures and reiterated opposition to sanctions imposed outside United Nations authorisation, reaffirming BRICS' stance against punitive economic measures taken without UN Security Council backing.

The summit included leaders from BRICS members such as Iran and the United Arab Emirates. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian participated in the New Delhi summit and was present at the leaders’ meeting and associated photo opportunities.

The leaders’ declaration endorses or references earlier deputy‑level texts. BRICS deputy foreign ministers and special envoys issued a joint statement in March 2025 containing language similar to the leaders’ declaration, including concern about attacks on civilian and IAEA‑safeguarded facilities and criticism of unilateral coercive measures.

Experts link the declaration’s language on sanctions and multilateralism to a broader effort by BRICS to assert a Global South voice in global diplomacy and to push for reforms of international institutions, including calls for greater representation on bodies such as the U.N. Security Council. Observers noted the declaration’s wording has immediate diplomatic relevance for India as tries to balances ties with the United States, Russia, Iran and Gulf states.

The leaders’ joint declaration follows an earlier diplomatic setback at the foreign‑minister level: BRICS foreign ministers failed to agree a joint statement on the Iran war in May 2026, a rupture that led India to issue a chair’s summary rather than a consensus joint statement.