During Thursday’s gathering of foreign ministers from BRICS countries, tensions escalated, particularly between Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Over the past couple of months, the UAE has faced numerous missile and drone attacks from Iran, which it views as unprovoked.
BRICS originally comprised Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, with the latter joining later. In 2023, the group decided to expand, bringing in Egypt, Iran, the UAE, and Ethiopia. Argentina was invited but chose not to participate, and Saudi Arabia declined the invitation. Indonesia has since been included.
Initially, BRICS functioned merely as a discussion forum. However, as China’s influence increased, the group began to shift towards forming an anti-American coalition that could possibly compete with the Group of Seven (G7) in the future.
India hosted this week’s meeting in New Delhi but was left disheartened as animosities surfaced between Iran and other member nations.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spent much of Thursday making threats, suggesting that unless the BRICS countries pay fees for using the Strait of Hormuz, they could face terrorist attacks, particularly affecting the UAE.
Araghchi expressed anger after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed a secret meeting he had with Emirati President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan during ongoing tensions between Israel, Iran, and the U.S. Netanyahu’s office announced that this meeting marked a significant advancement in relations between Israel and the UAE.
Reportedly, Israel implemented its Iron Dome defense system to shield the UAE from Iranian threats, a move that Emirati officials appreciated.
The UAE has denied any covert dealings with Israel, insisting its relations are transparent and based on official agreements.
In a pointed social media remark, Araghchi indirectly threatened the UAE with more attacks unless it cut ties with Israel and the United States.
“Netanyahu’s statements confirm what our leadership has long suspected,” he remarked, implying that collaboration with Israel could result in repercussions. He referred to the UAE’s failure to condemn the aggression against Iran and emphasized that they had played a part in the hostility.
Araghchi claimed that Iran’s attacks were aimed only at U.S. military positions, reiterating that trusting U.S. protection would be unwise. He ended with a call for peaceful relations, although the sincerity of this appeal seemed questionable given the context.
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Ghalibabadi adopted a more aggressive stance, accusing the UAE of conspiring with Israel and the U.S. against Iran. He insisted that the UAE should take responsibility for its involvement in the military actions against Iran.
Ghalibabadi labeled the UAE an aggressor, insisting that Iran had legitimate reasons to target U.S. military facilities within its borders and warned of potential consequences if the UAE continued its cooperation with aggressors.
He reminded the UAE delegation that they had received warnings about possible military actions from the U.S. and Israel, urging them to reconsider their alliances to avoid conflict.
The BRICS conference concluded without a joint statement, reflecting the deep divisions among the member states.
