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

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 not:

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.

ContextBRICS is an informal club of governments, not a treaty organization. It has no charter, no permanent staff, and no mutual-defense pact, so its declarations bind no one. It started with five members — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — and stands at 11 countries after a 2024 expansion. That growth is why a single text now has to satisfy both Iran and the U.S.-aligned United Arab Emirates, which sit on opposite sides of the Middle East war. The declaration clears that bar by naming no country at all: it calls in general terms for maximum restraint and for disputes to be settled by talking, and it criticizes trade measures and sanctions imposed without United Nations authorization — which is what allowed all 11 members to agree. Xi Jinping (President, China) offered Beijing as a partner in pushing for peace. The text sets out no mediation process and no deadline.