Brics leaders meeting in Rio de Janeiro condemned recent bombing campaigns against Iran in their final summit statement, calling the strikes a “violation of international law” and “deliberate attacks” on civilian infrastructure, but avoided direct mentions of the US and Israel.
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The joint declaration, coming against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s threats to impose tariffs of 100 per cent on imports from Brics countries, underscores an apparent effort to state the members’ position without directly provoking the “America First” leader as they separately negotiate trade deals with Washington.
Without naming the US, the document slammed “the rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures, which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO rules”.
On Iran, the declaration echoes the bloc’s joint statement from last month, when Brics nations voiced “grave concern” over the attacks and stressed “the urgent need to break the cycle of violence and restore peace” more broadly in the Middle East.
Highlighting Iran’s diplomatic isolation at a summit that Tehran had hoped would rally international backing amid tensions with Tel Aviv, the statement also calls for a mediated peace in the region through a two-state solution on Palestine, despite Iran’s push for stronger language and refusal to recognise Israel’s sovereignty.
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“Nuclear safeguards, safety, and security must always be upheld, including in armed conflicts, to protect people and the environment from harm,” it said, calling on the United Nations Security Council to address the situation.
According to Brazilian daily Folha de S. Paulo, Iranian negotiators demanded tougher wording on Washington – which launched military strikes on their country’s nuclear facilities last month – and Israel, and wanted the bloc to brand the attacks as “deplorable”, but found themselves stymied during talks led by Brics Sherpas earlier this week.