BRICS reaffirms support for independent State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as capital amid internal disagreements

Key facts

• The BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Foreign Ministers' meeting on May 15, 2026 in New Delhi reaffirmed support for an independent and viable State of Palestine within pre-1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.
• The meeting failed to produce a joint statement due to disagreements among members, leading to the release of a 'Chair's Statement and Outcome Document'.
• Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) clashed over the paragraph on the Gaza Strip and the status of the Strait of Hormuz.
• Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi asserted that the Strait of Hormuz falls within the territorial waters of Iran and Oman, not international waters.
• Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov assured continued energy supplies to India and discussed cooperation on the North-South Transport Corridor, payment settlement in national currencies, and nuclear energy.