As detailed in earlier coverage of initial BRICS fractures and market shocks from the US-Israeli war on Iran, the bloc's expanded membership continues to hinder a unified response. New members Iran and UAE are directly opposed, with India's chairmanship reluctant to force consensus ahead of its summit.
The ongoing conflict—US and Israeli strikes launched February 28, 2026, in response to attacks on Iranian leadership, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, followed by Iran's missile and drone retaliation on US bases and civilian sites in Gulf states including the UAE—has left BRICS unable to issue a joint statement, unlike its June 2025 condemnation of prior nuclear strikes.
The 10-nation group (expanded in 2023-2024) shows deepening splits: Russia, China, and Brazil have denounced US-Israeli actions, while India, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Indonesia remain reserved or critique Iran's retaliation. South Africa issued a neutral statement on February 28, condemning unspecified violations of international law and rejecting anticipatory self-defense.
India, as current BRICS chair, hesitates to lead due to balancing ties with Iran against growing alignment with the US, Israel, and UAE. It condoled Khamenei's death after five days. Former foreign secretary Shivshankar Menon called this silence 'inexplicable' and 'sad,' foreseeing disapproval from founding members at the upcoming India summit.
Experts highlight risks to cohesion. John Kirton (University of Toronto) blames expansion for weak crisis responses, noting India's US tilt. Arina Muresan (Institute for Global Dialogue) flags the Iran-UAE standoff as unprecedented. Yet Gustavo de Carvalho (SA Institute of International Affairs) stresses BRICS's economic focus over geopolitics, akin to past silences on Ukraine and Gaza.
