BRICS leaders express concern over “growing risks” of nuclear conflict

Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, United Arab Emirates (UAE) Minister of State Saeed bin Mubarak Al Hajeri, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, South African President Ra Pehozesh, South African President Ra Pehozesh Masa I. Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed poses for a family photo during the BRICS Summit in New Delhi, India, September 12, 2026. Photo: PIB via Reuters.

BRICS leaders expressed grave concern over “deliberate attacks” on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities under full International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards, stressing that nuclear security must always be promoted, even in “armed conflicts”.

Also Read: BRICS Summit 2026 LIVE Updates

In the ‘New Delhi Declaration’ adopted on the first day of the two-day BRICS summit hosted by India, the leaders on Saturday (September 12, 2026) also expressed concern over “growing risks of nuclear danger and conflict”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the adoption of the declaration at the end of the opening day’s talks in the presence of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and other top officials of the bloc.

In a major diplomatic victory for India, the BRICS reached consensus on a joint statement after overcoming sharp differences between the UAE and Tehran over the conflict in West Asia, but omitted any direct mention of US strikes on Iran or the Iranian military’s attacks on Arab countries in the Persian Gulf.

The statement, without naming any country, said: “We express grave concern over the deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities under full International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards, which are in violation of international law and relevant IAEA resolutions,” the statement said.

“Nuclear safeguards, safety and security must always be observed, even in armed conflict, to protect people and the environment from harm,” he added.

BRICS, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, expanded to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, UAE and Saudi Arabia in 2024 and Indonesia joined in 2025.

Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam became BRICS partner countries last year.

The statement said: “We are concerned about the growing risks of nuclear danger and conflict. We reiterate the need to revitalize the system of disarmament, arms control and non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and maintain its integrity and effectiveness to achieve global stability and international peace and security.”

Leaders also highlighted the important contribution of nuclear-weapon-free zones to strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime, reaffirming their support and respect for all existing nuclear-weapon-free zones and related safeguards against the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons.

They also recognized the importance of efforts aimed at accelerating the implementation of “the resolution on the establishment of a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, including the conference convened pursuant to UN General Assembly resolution 73/546”.

“We call on all invited parties to participate in this conference in good faith and engage constructively in this effort. We note the adoption of UN General Assembly Resolution 79/241, ‘Comprehensive Study of the Question of Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zones in All Its Aspects’, as well as the successful conclusion of the study adopted by consensus by the group,” the statement said.

Published – 13 Sep 2026 09:26 IST