NEW DELHI: Iran and the United Arab Emirates signed up to a joint statement from the BRICS group of nations that called for restraint in the Middle East war on Saturday (Sep 12), in what was seen as a sign of diplomatic progress between the countries divided by the war.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also met the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi on the sidelines of the first day of the New Delhi summit, in the countries’ highest-level meeting since the start of the conflict.
The two leaders discussed regional and international issues, de-escalation, stability, and efforts to advance regional peace and development, the Abu Dhabi media office said on X, without referring to any resolution to the discussions.
The BRICS summit is a test of the diplomatic clout of a bloc set up in 2009 to challenge a world order dominated by the United States and its Western allies. It originally comprised Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa and expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia as well as Iran and the UAE.
Summit organisers and diplomats have been focused on bridging the Iran-UAE divide, even as the United States and Iran resume tit-for-tat strikes in the six-month-old war.
Iran has launched repeated attacks on the UAE during the conflict, most recently in late August when it targeted the Al Minhad Air Base that housed US forces and helicopters.
“We express deep concern over the continued escalation of tensions in Middle East/West Asia … call for exercising maximum restraint, as well as avoiding actions that could further aggravate the situation,” the joint BRICS declaration read.
It called for the protection of civilians, urged respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, and stressed the need to protect global trade, supply chains, energy flows and maritime security.
