Iran's Pezeshkian urges BRICS to prevent trade obstruction

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian called on BRICS member states at a New Delhi summit on Friday to establish institutional frameworks preventing the obstruction of legitimate trade, saying sanctions against Tehran have intensified since the US-Israeli war began.

Summit address

Speaking at the 18th BRICS leaders' summit in the Indian capital, Pezeshkian said the world is going through one of its "most complex periods," warning that the increasing use of economic coercion to exert pressure has endangered legitimate commerce. "What is BRICS' response to these problems?" he asked, adding that the group's strength would become clearer when it moves from "potential cooperation to operational cooperation."

The bloc was established in 2006 with founding members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, later expanding to include Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Iran. Indonesia joined the grouping earlier this year after its accession was announced in early 2025.

Economic security

"Iran has faced comprehensive sanctions in recent years, and these pressures entered a far more dangerous phase following the US-Israeli aggression," Pezeshkian said. He noted that the aggression revealed economic security cannot be separated from national and regional security, particularly when critical infrastructure faces political pressure.

"When a country's trade, energy, infrastructure or financial system is subjected to political and military pressure, the effects go beyond that country's borders and affect regional stability and the global economy," he stated. Pezeshkian emphasized the need to expand the use of national currencies in trade among BRICS countries to reduce dependence on systems vulnerable to unilateral sanctions.

Strategic offer

The Iranian president expressed his country's readiness to serve as a "strategic partner" in the group's energy and transport supply chains. "Iran is ready to work with BRICS members to build a more open and just economy," he said.

The 18th BRICS summit convened in New Delhi as Tehran faces mounting economic isolation over its role in the regional conflict. Western powers have imposed additional restrictions on Iranian oil and banking sectors since hostilities began.