Visiting researcher and fellow of the GSUM research program at the BRICS Policy Center of PUC-Rio, Luis Gouveia Jr., wrote an article for The Conversation Brasil

Visiting researcher and fellow of the GSUM research program at the BRICS Policy Center of PUC-Rio, Luis Gouveia Jr., wrote an article for The Conversation Brasil website, titled: “Why hasn’t BRICS yet spoken out about the war against Iran?”. The article assesses how the group’s expansion process has presented a new challenge to reaching consensus within BRICS.

Unlike 2025, when BRICS issued a joint statement after the attacks suffered by Iran, in 2026 the group has still not taken a joint position on the issue. The researcher analyzes BRICS’ silence and explains that part of this impasse stems from BRICS functioning by consensus, which makes issuing joint statements difficult in a context of internal disagreements.

In this sense, it is argued that the recent expansion of the bloc, with the entry of countries such as Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia, has intensified rivalries and made reaching common positions even more complex. Furthermore, India’s rapprochement with Israel also contributes to this. The text highlights the difficulty in articulating a joint response.

Finally, it concludes that these internal tensions could compromise the BRICS’ ability to act and pose a risk to its international relevance.