BRICS forum, in Brazil, condemns US, Israeli airstrikes on Iran
In rare diplomatic win for Tehran, 11-nation group says attacks on the Islamic Republic's nuclear and missile programs 'constitute a violation of international law'.
The BRICS group began its first summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sunday (July 6, 2025) since the forum expanded to eleven members, amid tensions generated by the trade war unleashed by US President Donald Trump and by conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, the summit's host, called for an end to "indifference" to the Israeli "genocide" in Gaza. He stated that postponing UN Security Council reform increases global danger. He criticized the increased defense spending of NATO member countries.
Trump's tariffs in the spotlight
The forum's annual meeting in Rio de Janeiro, which brings together heads of state, partners and guests, began marked by the absence of Chinese President Xi Jinping and the online participation of his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, just three days before the deadline imposed by Trump to reach trade agreements with interested countries in the face of a historic tariff increase on imports from the world's largest economy.
In the specific case of the BRICS, Trump has also threatened to impose additional tariffs of 100% if emerging economies take measures that challenge the dollar's dominance in international trade. "If we don't find a new formula, we will end the 21st century as we began the 20th," said Lula da Silva.
The BRICS countries supported the Islamic Republic of Iran
Iran won the support of fellow BRICS nations meeting in Rio de Janeiro today, with the bloc condemning Israel and the US for the assault on Iran's nuclear program and military infrastructure throughout the 12-day war last month.
"We condemn the military strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran since 13 June 2025," leaders said in a summit statement, without naming the United States or Israel. "We further express serious concern over deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities," the bloc said
- The 11-nation grouping said the strikes "constitute a violation of international law."
The declaration is a rare diplomatic victory for Tehran, which has received limited regional or global support after the bombing campaign by the Israeli military, which culminated in US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities at Natanz, Fordo, and Isfahan.
Israel attacked Iran on June 13, declaring that the Islamic Republic's nuclear and ballistic missile programs posed an imminent, existential threat to the Jewish state. In retaliation for the strikes, Iran fired more than 500 ballistic missiles at Israel throughout the war, killing 28 people. Fighting stopped on June 24, with the adoption of a US-brokered ceasefire.
The BRICS gathering includes Israel's arch foe Iran, and also nations like Russia and China, which have ties with Tehran. BRICS diplomats had been in disagreement over how strongly to denounce Israel's bombing of Iran and its actions in Gaza, but ultimately strengthened their language at Tehran's request.