BRICS foreign ministers meet in New Delhi, Iran praised after US attack

Foreign ministers of the BRICS group met in New Delhi on May 14‑15, with Iran attending as an observer. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iranian media that BRICS members now view Iran differently after what he called “the American failure” in its recent attack on the country.

Delegates discussed the fallout from the Hormuz blockade. India, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia are facing high energy and gasoline prices, while India’s LNG shortfall has forced restaurant closures. Russia is benefitting from rising petroleum prices, Brazil is insulated by its ethanol fuel use, and China relies on large oil reserves and its sizable electric‑vehicle fleet. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, both BRICS members, are suffering significant GDP losses from the blockade.

India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar urged “safe and unimpeded maritime flows through international waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea,” emphasizing their importance to the global economy. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov blamed U.S. motives on oil interests, saying the aggression against Iran was driven by a desire to control petroleum flows through the Strait of Hormuz.