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PBS NEWSHOUR

All 11 BRICS countries adopt declaration urging Middle East restraint and condemning unauthorized sanctions.

Iran war
Political Guyentist · September 13, 20263 min read

PBS NEWSHOUR

The consensus joined rivals Iran and the U.S.-aligned United Arab Emirates as Xi Jinping offered China as a regional mediator.

Leaders of the 11 BRICS countries adopted the New Delhi Declaration on Saturday, Sept. 12, urging maximum restraint in the Middle East and the settlement of disputes through dialogue. The text condemned trade measures and economic sanctions imposed without United Nations authorization. Xi Jinping (President, China) told the summit that Beijing would work with member states to promote regional peace.

Where it stands. Adoption was unanimous, which required Iran and the U.S.-aligned United Arab Emirates to sign the same text. It names no country as a target and sets out no mediation process or timeline.

Where the 11-nation bloc outweighs the G7, and where notEconomic output: the 11 members account for 40.7% of world output measured at purchasing-power parity, against 28.4% for the G7…3 details
  • Economic output: the 11 members account for 40.7% of world output measured at purchasing-power parity, against 28.4% for the G7 economies.
  • Reach: 49.5% of world population, up from 41% of population before the 2024 expansion.
  • Living standards: $6,758 of output per person across the bloc in 2024, against a world average of $11,761.
Currently showing Share of the world total: BRICS-11 vs. G7
Share of the world total: BRICS-11 vs. G7
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Weight without a rulebook: BRICS-11 against the G7Shares of the world total. Purchasing-power GDP is the one measure the story gives for both blocs.BRICS-11G701020304050Share of world total (percent)Purchasing-power GDPInternational tradeWorld populationG7 28.4%BRICS-11 40.7%26%BRICS-11 only — story gives no G7 figure49.5%up from 41% before the 2024 expansionSource: PBS NewsHour, New Delhi summit declaration, Sept. 12, 2026. PPP basis.
Share of the world total: BRICS-11 vs. G7

What we’re less sure of2 of 7 claims

Red take

Xi Jinping's demand that sanctions require United Nations approval would hand Beijing a binding veto over Western security policy. A bloc commanding 40.7% of global purchasing-power GDP certainly creates real friction for unilateral penalties, particularly among partners like the United Arab Emirates. But conditioning economic leverage on adversary consensus destroys deterrence entirely. Abandoning independent sanctions leaves democracies with only two options against rogue regimes: direct military force or total inaction. Enduring some diplomatic friction with non-aligned states is a necessary price for keeping a potent weapon between diplomacy and war.

Blue take

Unilateral sanctions only function while targets lack viable alternative markets. When the New Delhi Declaration unites longtime American partners like the United Arab Emirates with rivals like Iran, Washington's financial isolation strategy has backfired. Building international consensus undeniably slows enforcement and dilutes Western discretion. Yet driving an economic bloc that represents 40.7% of global purchasing-power GDP to establish alternative payment systems destroys the leverage Washington needs. Without multilateral legitimacy, routine economic coercion simply erodes the dollar's primacy and hands Xi Jinping a unified coalition ready to bypass American rules.