Deputy Foreign Ministers and Special Envoys of the BRICS grouping and MENA (Middle East and North Africa) met on Friday (April 24, 2026) and expressed “deep concern” about the U.S.-Israel war against Iran.

Indicating divergent opinions in the meeting about the war, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the delegates “offered views and assessments” on the war. This was the first statement that India issued on the situation in the Gulf as the Chair of the BRICS, whose ministerial meeting is expected to be held in Delhi next month.