Amid UAE-Iran rift, BRICS remains a divided house on West Asia; no joint statement after meeting

The BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting ended Friday without a joint statement as member-states failed to bridge the gap between the UAE and Iran on the conflict in the West Asia region. While the UAE had insisted on a strong condemnation of Iran’s actions, Tehran wanted the grouping to explicitly condemn the US and Israel.The end product was a Chair’s statement or an outcome document acknowledging “differing views among some members as regard to the situation in the West Asia/Middle East region”. A meeting of the deputy foreign ministers and special envoys that India hosted in April had also ended with a Chair’s statement for the same reason.Iranian foreign minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi later blamed the UAE for the deadlock, without naming the country. “I think everybody knows which country blocked anything against Israel. And that was very unfortunate. The same country that helped the US and Israel attack Iran. And as far as we are concerned, they are a direct party to this aggression and should be held responsible,” said Araghchi, expressing hope that the UAE would review its position by the time India hosts the summit later this year."I hope they understand that Iran is a neighbour. We have to live with each other for centuries to come,” he said.The Chair’s statement said that the BRICS members expressed their respective national positions and shared a range of perspectives.“Views articulated by them included the need for an early resolution of the current crisis, the value of dialogue and diplomacy, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, upholding international law, the importance of safe and unimpeded flow of maritime commerce through international waterways, and the protection of civilian infrastructure and civilian lives,” said the statement, adding that the impact of recent developments on the global economic situation was stressed by many members.According to official sources, while there was no explicit mention of the Strait of Hormuz, the mention of unimpeded flow of maritime commerce through international waterways was significant as it captured India’s concerns over disruption in energy supplies because of the Hormuz blockade.The statement also noted that a member had reservations about 2 paragraphs – one on Palestine and another that stressed the importance of ensuring the exercise of navigational rights and freedoms of vessels of “all states in the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab Strait, in accordance with international law”. While the statement didn’t name any country, sources speaking on condition of anonymity said Iran had concerns about some aspects of these paragraphs.The reservations were apparently about language encouraging “enhanced diplomatic efforts” to ensure navigational rights in the Red Sea and Bab Al-Mandab Strait, where Tehran-backed Houthis remain active, including by addressing the causes of the conflict and support for dialogue and Yemen’s peace process under the UN.The paragraph on Palestine said the members recalled that the Gaza Strip is an inseparable part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and underlined the importance of unifying the West Bank and the Gaza Strip under the Palestinian Authority. The ministers also reaffirmed the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, including the right to their independent State of Palestine.“They called on the international community to support the Palestinian Authority in undergoing reforms to fulfil the Palestinians’ legitimate aspirations for independence and statehood,” it said.