BRICS leaders have condemned Israel’s war on Gaza, military strikes on Iran and Syria, and tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump as they meet in Brazil.
Conceived two decades ago as a forum for fast-growing economies, the BRICS have come to be seen as a Chinese-driven counterbalance to Western power.
The BRICS gathering includes Iran, alongside countries like Russia and China, which maintain close ties with Tehran.
While the group’s expansion to include members such as Iran and Indonesia has made full consensus on issues like Gaza and institutional reform more complex, the 11-member bloc has nonetheless found common ground on several key fronts, as evident from statements made over the weekend.
Call for ‘unconditional ceasefire’ in Gaza
In one summit declaration, the 11-member bloc urged negotiators to swiftly end Israel’s 22-month-long war in Gaza.
"We exhort the parties to engage in good faith in further negotiations to achieve an immediate, permanent and unconditional ceasefire," the 11-nation bloc said in a final summit statement.
The BRICS countries also called for a “full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and all other parts of the occupied Palestinian Territories.”
The bloc's statement came as Gaza truce talks between Israel and Hamas resumed in Doha, and as pressure mounted to end the genocidal war which has killed at least 57,418 Palestinians in Gaza as it enters its 21th month.
Rebuke for strikes on Iran, Syria
In a separate statement, Iran secured the backing of fellow BRICS nations, with the bloc condemning recent Israel and US air strikes that hit military, nuclear and other targets.
"We condemn the military strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran since 13 June 2025, which constitute a violation of international law," leaders said in a summit statement, without naming the United States or Israel by name.
"We further express serious concern over deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities," the statement read.
The bloc also condemned terrorist violence in Syria and Israeli occupation of Syrian land, welcome lifting of unilateral sanctions on Damascus.
Trade tensions unite members
Another summit document focused on global trade, where BRICS leaders voiced “serious concerns” over the US president’s escalating tariff threats.
Referring to Trump's recent actions, they criticised the “rise of unilateral tariff and non-tariff measures which distort trade and are inconsistent with WTO rules,” warning that such policies risk disrupting global supply chains and amplifying economic uncertainty.
BRICS described such tariffs as illegal and arbitrary, threatening to "further reduce global trade, disrupt global supply chains, and introduce uncertainty into international economic and trade activities."
The BRICS group which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and newer members such as Iran represents nearly half the world’s population and 40 percent of global economic output.
The bloc is divided about much, but has found common cause when it comes to the mercurial US leader and his stop-start tariff wars.
