Iran FM Araghchi likely in India for BRICS talks amid West Asia tensions

Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi is likely to travel to India next week for the BRICS foreign ministers’ meeting on May 14-15, Times of India reported, as the grouping prepares to deliberate on the escalating situation in West Asia amid fragile regional stability.

While uncertainty had persisted over his participation because of the volatile security environment, Iran has communicated to India that the visit remains “on the foreign minister’s agenda” for now, sources familiar with the matter said.

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Araghchi’s presence, however, could still hinge on developments in the region, particularly whether the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran holds. Any fresh military escalation could dramatically alter Tehran’s diplomatic engagements.

The Iranian leadership is currently studying a 14-point US peace proposal that reportedly calls for Iran to halt uranium enrichment for at least 12 years in return for a phased lifting of American sanctions.

The BRICS meeting in India is expected to focus heavily on the West Asia crisis, though divisions within the grouping continue to complicate efforts to issue a unified statement on the conflict.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has already confirmed his participation. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, however, is likely to skip the meeting as Beijing prioritises preparations for the expected Donald Trump-Xi Jinping summit, whose timing is understood to overlap with the BRICS gathering.

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Iran, which joined BRICS in 2024 alongside Egypt, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, is learnt to be pushing for a stronger collective position within the bloc against US-Israel military actions in the region.

Both Araghchi and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian have urged India to help build consensus within BRICS for a joint statement addressing the conflict.

India, however, has maintained that deep differences among member states — particularly between Iran and the UAE — have so far prevented the grouping from arriving at a consensus document.

The same divisions had surfaced during last month’s meeting of BRICS special envoys, which concluded only with a Chair’s statement instead of a joint declaration after efforts to bridge the gap between the two sides failed, government sources had said at the time.

For New Delhi, the balancing act remains delicate.

Even as it engages closely with Tehran, ties with the UAE continue to be a strategic priority. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to travel to Abu Dhabi on May 15 for a brief meeting with UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan while en route to Europe.

India has so far preferred a diplomatic approach towards the crisis and has avoided weighing participation in any military coalition aimed at securing the strategic waterway.