BRICS Condemns Unilateral Sanctions, Voices Middle East Concern

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian used the BRICS summit in New Delhi to frame the bloc as a counterweight to what he called US "totalitarianism" and unilateral sanctions, while the group's joint statement condemned such measures and expressed concern over escalating violence in the Middle East. Pezeshkian, speaking in an interview on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit, stated that the group was created to challenge US dominance and its power to impose economic sanctions at will. "The objective of BRICS and what we have come here for is that, regarding the trend which has begun by the US and, you know, actually it sanctions any country it wishes. On the other hand, the BRICS intention is to break this kind of totalitarianism," he said. The BRICS New Delhi declaration, adopted on Saturday, echoed these concerns. It condemned unilateral sanctions not authorized by the UN Security Council and called for their elimination, stating they "undermine international law and the principles and purposes of the UN Charter." The statement also voiced serious concern over escalating violence in West Asia, calling for maximum restraint and a multilateral approach to resolving disputes.