Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian 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.
Addressing the 18th BRICS Plus Summit, Pezeshkian warned that the effects of targeting a country’s economic, energy, and development infrastructure can rapidly spill across its borders and have regional and global repercussions.
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.
🇮🇷 Masoud Pezeshkian, the President of Iran, at the BRICS summit in New Delhi:
— 𝕊𝕡𝕣𝕚𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝕻𝕣𝕖𝕤𝕤 (@SprinterPress) September 12, 2026
"We aspire to a world where power does not replace the law, sanctions do not replace cooperation, war does not replace dialogue, and monopoly does not replace participation." pic.twitter.com/ICZptc60fl
Pezeshkian also pointed to Gaza and Lebanon, urging BRICS to play a greater role in defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity and upholding the prohibition on the use of force.
“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.”
Economic Cooperation
On economic cooperation, the Iranian president called for expanding trade in national currencies and strengthening the New Development Bank to increase BRICS members’ resilience against political and economic pressure.
He also said BRICS represents growing demand for a more balanced and inclusive global order in which no center of power has the right to “determine the fate of others.”
The remarks came on the final day of the two-day 18th BRICS Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi, where leaders of the bloc and partner countries met for a session on resilience, innovation, cooperation, and sustainability.
Russian FM Lavrov shares warm chat with counterparts from China and Iran at BRICS summit
— RT Intl (@RT_on_X) September 13, 2026
Wang Yi inspects pin on Araghchi’s suit jacket pic.twitter.com/5NFmYwMCM0
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.
Source: Iranian media