Iran’s president urges BRICS to play more active role in upholding non-use of force principle

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has called on the BRICS group of emerging economies to play a “more effective” role in defending national sovereignty and upholding the principle of non-use of force at the current critical time.

He made the remarks on Sunday in an address to the 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit, which is being held in the Indian capital of New Delhi under the theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability.”

Pezeshkian said that developments in West Asia, particularly the war of aggression waged by the United States and the Israeli regime against Iran, have demonstrated that the effects of targeting a country’s economic, energy, and development infrastructure can, within a short period, extend beyond its borders and have regional and global repercussions.

“The people of Iran have paid a heavy price for these acts of aggression. Women and men, children and civilians have lost their lives, while infrastructure that had been built over decades to advance the country’s development has been damaged. These events serve as a reminder of the international community’s grave responsibility to protect civilians and prevent the normalization of attacks on civilian targets,” he added.

“The people of Gaza and Lebanon continue to face the consequences of atrocities and genocide. It is impossible to speak of international law without an effective international response to military aggression, the killing of human beings, and the destruction of their lives. Therefore, BRICS should also play a more effective role in defending national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and upholding the principle of non-use of force.”

Originally comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, BRICS expanded in 2024 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, with Indonesia joining in 2025.

Additionally, Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam became BRICS partner countries last year.

The bloc accounts for 45 percent of the world’s population and generates more than 35 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) as measured in purchasing power parity.

Pezeshkian says BRICS a chance to counter unilateralism as he heads to India for summit

President Masoud Pezeshkian says the upcoming summit of the BRICS group of emerging economies provides a chance to strengthen multilateralism in international relations.

The Iranian chief executive said that BRICS should build a shared capacity for the economic resilience of its member states through expanding trade in national currencies and strengthening the New Development Bank, formerly referred to as the BRICS Development Bank. 

He further emphasized that economic resilience cannot be sustained without security.

Excessive reliance on limited financial and trade systems leaves economies vulnerable to political shocks, he said, noting that unilateral sanctions are not merely an economic issue as they directly affect food security and people’s well-being.

Meanwhile, Pezeshkian stressed that BRICS should transform the dispersed capacities of the Global South states into a shared capacity given the fact that no country can address today’s global challenges on its own.

He also said that Iran’s geopolitical position, as well as its energy and transit potential, can play an effective role in developing trade and energy corridors among the BRICS members.

“Today, BRICS is more than just a framework for cooperation among emerging economies. It reflects a growing demand for a more balanced and inclusive world—one in which no single center of power has the right to determine the fate of others,” he said.

Additionally, the president expressed the Islamic Republic’s readiness to make its capacities available for BRICS cooperation, saying, “Resilience cannot endure without sustained cooperation; cooperation cannot be sustained without justice; and sustainability cannot be achieved without peace and security.”

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