The 11 BRICS member countries, including China, Russia, Iran, Brazil and India, released a joint statement calling for calm in the Middle East during the first day of the emerging powers bloc summit in New Delhi. In the statement, they expressed "deep concern about the continuing escalation of tensions in the Middle East/Western Asia" and called for "maximum prudence," in addition to avoiding actions that could further aggravate the situation.
Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, was present at the meeting and used the occasion to state that the region "does not need a police officer," in a clear reference to the United States. The statement comes in a context of military escalation between the two countries.
The United States went to war with Iran on the last day of February. In retaliation, the Islamic Republic blocked the Strait of Hormuz, through which, before the conflict, a significant portion of world maritime traffic passed.




