Sep 12, 2026 13:56 pm IST

Opinion | Can India Mediate A 'Truce' Between Iran And UAE During BRICS Summit?

At the very start of the Israel-US war on Iran, it was a UAE diplomat who had suggested as much.

Aditi Bhaduri Aditi Bhaduri Columnist

Aditi Bhaduri Columnist

As India hosts the BRICS summit this year, it's chairship comes at an extraordinary time not just for itself or the member states, but for the globe. Two major wars are underway, and in this part of the world, some major geopolitical re-alignments are shaping up with long-term consequences for the world.

While India is not directly involved in either the Ukraine or Iran war, it has been majorly impacted by both. But, the Iran war has had far more negative consequences for it. Its energy supplies from the Gulf have been adversely impacted, leading to a surge in oil and gas prices, and, in a cascading effect, leading to price rise in food and consumer products, inflation and falling rupee, impacting overall growth. Furthermore, many Indians have lost lives in a war that they had nothing to do with.

It is striking that India will be hosting the BRICS summit with the expanded bloc - eleven member states are participating in it, and ten more partner countries will join in. Importantly, three parties to the Iran war - Iran, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) - are BRICS member states whose representatives are in Delhi to attend the summit. Can India broker some sort of a truce between Iran and the UAE, both geographically close neighbours with entwined destinies? Of course, not the sham kind that Pakistan "mediated" between Iran and the US, which collapsed within a month.

This would........

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