At their summit in Rio de Janeiro on July 6, the leaders of the expanded BRICS alliance unified in condemning recent attacks on both Gaza and Iran, issuing a forceful declaration that also called for sweeping reforms of global institutions and solidarity around multilateral diplomacy.
In an opening address, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva framed BRICS as the modern heir to the Cold War–era Non-Aligned Movement. He warned that “multilateralism [is] under attack”.
Central to their 31-page declaration was a sharp rebuke of violence: BRICS leaders denounced military attacks on Gaza, condemned the strikes on Iran’s civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities as “violations of international law,” and expressed “grave concern” over the humanitarian toll.
They further decried what they termed terrorist attacks in Indian-administered Kashmir, insisting that terrorism must be opposed “regardless of … motivation, location or perpetrator”.
