India's BRICS chairship produced a unanimous 140-paragraph declaration despite Iran-UAE differences, but the text avoided naming the United States or any party to the Gulf war.

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• The 18th BRICS Summit was held at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on September 12-13, 2026, under India's chairship, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
• The theme was "Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability."
• It was the first summit India hosted since the bloc's expansion in 2024, and it brought Iran, the UAE and Saudi Arabia to the same table amid the West Asia war.
• Leaders unanimously adopted the New Delhi Declaration, a 140-paragraph document, on September 12.
• Consensus was notable because a BRICS foreign ministers' meeting in May had ended without agreement on wording about the conflict.
• The declaration voiced deep concern over West Asia and called for restraint, without naming the US, Israel, Iran or any Gulf country.
• It criticised unilateral tariffs and sanctions not authorised by the UN Security Council, without naming the United States.
• On Ukraine, it made only a general call to resolve disputes through dialogue and diplomacy, without mentioning the war.
• It backed reform of global governance institutions and supported work on local-currency settlement, including BRICS Pay, but proposed no common currency.
• Reported outcomes also include a strong stance against terrorism and a BRICS Mission for Healthy Lifestyle with a 2026-2029 roadmap.
• The bloc now has 11 members and 10 partner countries, and India reportedly worked behind the scenes to win agreement from both Iran and the UAE.