India part of BRICS statement calling military strikes in Iran a ‘violation of international law'
The statement added: 'We express serious concern over any attacks against peaceful nuclear installations that are carried out in violation of international law and relevant resolutions of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Nuclear safeguards, safety, and security must always be upheld, including in armed conflicts, to protect people and the environment from harm. In this context, we reiterate our support for diplomatic initiatives aimed at addressing regional challenges.'
'We express grave concern over the military strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran since 13 June 2025, which constitute a violation of international law and the Charter of the United Nations, and the subsequent escalation of the security situation in the Middle East,' the joint statement published by the Brazilian presidency of BRICS said.
New Delhi: The BRICS members, including India, Wednesday called the military strikes on the territory of Iran a 'violation of international law' and the Charter of the United Nations, expressing 'grave concern' on the situation in the Middle East.
India was part of the deliberations for the statement, which marks the most serious criticism from New Delhi over the strikes aimed at Iran's nuclear programme launched by Israel and the US this month.
New Delhi maintained the call for dialogue and diplomacy to bring an end to the 'multiple conflicts' in West Asia in its statement on the situation Tuesday. The 24 June statement was the first official acknowledgement of India on the US' military action Sunday against the three Iranian nuclear facilities—Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan.
The US used its 'bunker buster' ordinance to penetrate Fordow, which is located roughly 300 feet below the ground, and was considered Iran's most fortified uranium enrichment facility.
Hours after US' strikes, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held a telephonic conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Indian statement after the call had made no mention of the US strikes, but said that Modi was briefed by Pezeshkian on the 'ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel'.
In its first statement on 13 June after Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, which included the bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities and the killing of senior military officials, India had expressed its 'deep concern' over the situation. On 14 June, India had distanced itself from a statement made by the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation that condemned Israel's military operation. At the time, New Delhi had said that its own position had been 'articulated' in its statement released on 13 June.
'India did not participate in the discussions on the above-mentioned SCO statement,' the Ministry of External Affairs had said at the time. The SCO statement had 'strongly condemned' Israel for the 'gross violation of international law' and 'infringement' on Iran's sovereignty.
The SCO is a regional grouping, which includes India, China, Russia, Pakistan, Iran, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
However, New Delhi has not distanced itself from the BRICS statement, which also called for the 'establishing a zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East, in line with relevant international resolutions'.
'Guided by the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter, BRICS remains committed to promoting international peace and security and to fostering diplomacy and peaceful dialogue as the only sustainable path toward long-term stability in the region,' Wednesday's statement added.
Iran is a member of the BRICS, along with the founding members—Brazil, Russia, China, India and South Africa. The other members of the forum are Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia and Indonesia. The BRICS summit is set to be held in Rio de Janeiro on 6-7 July.
Modi is set to travel to Brazil for the summit as a part of a five-nation visit, which will also see him travel to Ghana, Namibia, Trinidad and Tobago and Argentina, as reported by ThePrint earlier.
Iran and Israel have maintained a ceasefire for the last two days, following a strike by Tehran at an American air base in Qatar Monday. While both West Asian nations accused each other of violating the ceasefire, a furious US President Donald Trump called on Israel to 'not drop the bombs' at Iran on his social media platform Truth Social Tuesday.
(Edited by Mannat Chugh)
Also Read: Israel-Iran conflict: India distances itself from SCO statement critical of Tel Aviv
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
25 minutes ago
- Mint
Hegseth, Gabbard, CIA scramble after leaked intel challenge Donald Trump's Iran nuclear strike ‘obliteration' boast
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to address the media on Thursday in a high-stakes press conference aimed at countering growing scepticism about the effectiveness of last weekend's US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities. The move comes amid a fierce backlash sparked by leaked US intelligence documents that contradict President Donald Trump's bold claims of having 'obliterated' Tehran's nuclear infrastructure. Pete Hegseth is expected to offer a "fresh assessment" of the bombings, which targeted three major Iranian atomic sites: Natanz, Fordow, and Esfahan. The strikes followed escalating tensions between Iran and Israel, with both countries engaging in retaliatory military action since 13 June. US military said it dropped 14 GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs – powerful 13,600kg (30,000lb) weapons – on three Iranian nuclear sites. Pentagon's push for damage control comes after CNN first reported a classified Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessment suggesting the strikes had only delayed Iran's nuclear programme by a few months, rather than years. The leaked DIA assessment also found that much of Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which would provide the fuel for making any future nuclear warhead, had been moved before the strikes and may have been moved to other secret nuclear sites maintained by Iran. That conclusion, reportedly based on satellite imagery and intercepted communications, starkly contradicts the Donald Trump administration's initial declaration of a decisive blow. His comment came amid growing scrutiny of a leaked DIA assessment suggesting that Iran's nuclear capabilities may only have been delayed by months, not destroyed outright. The admission marked a rare moment of ambiguity from the US president, who is known for emphatic declarations on matters of national security. However, just hours later, Donald Trump reversed course. At a separate public appearance, he struck a far more confident tone, claiming, 'This was a devastating attack, and it knocked them for a loop.' The sudden shift raised eyebrows in Washington, with critics accusing the administration of scrambling to maintain a narrative of total success. Behind the scenes, officials insisted that updated briefings and 'new intelligence' supported the president's renewed certainty. Amid the mounting confusion, Donald Trump's cabinet have doubled down. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard posted on X (formerly Twitter): 'New intelligence confirms what President Trump has stated. Iran's nuclear facilities have been destroyed. If the Iranians chose to rebuild, they would have to rebuild all three facilities entirely, which would likely take years to do.' CIA Director John Ratcliffe echoed Tulsi Gabbard's claim, stating: 'Several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years.' Ratcliffe said the assessment was based on information from a 'historically reliable' intelligence source. Despite these public assertions, the internal rift within the US intelligence community appears to be deepening. According to The Washington Post and Associated Press, the White House now intends to limit the sharing of classified materials with Congress—an unprecedented move during an active overseas crisis. On Wednesday, the White House pushed back on those claims, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt telling Fox News the US had 'no indication that that enriched uranium was moved prior to the strikes, as I also saw falsely reported'. 'As for what's on the ground right now, it's buried under miles and miles of rubble because of the success of these strikes on Saturday evening,' she said. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer slammed the proposal: 'Senators deserve information, and the administration has a legal obligation to inform Congress precisely about what is happening right now abroad.' The controversy intensified after it emerged that much of Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpile had likely been relocated before the US-led strikes. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed it had lost 'visibility' of Iran's nuclear material after hostilities began. In an interview with French television, IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi offered a cautious clarification: 'I don't want to give the impression that it's been lost or hidden.' As Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth prepares to face the press, the Biden–Trump-era divide over intelligence reliability, wartime transparency, and nuclear non-proliferation is once again in sharp focus. With both global security and domestic political credibility on the line, Thursday's briefing may prove pivotal in shaping public perception of one of the most volatile military confrontations in recent US–Iran history.
Time of India
25 minutes ago
- Time of India
Hindi friend of all Indian languages; there should be no opposition to any foreign language: Amit Shah
Union Home minister Amit Shah on Thursday said Hindi is not opposed to any Indian language, rather it is friends with all Indian languages and there should be no opposition to any foreign language in the country. Addressing the golden jubilee celebrations of the Central government's official language department , Shah also asked all the state governments to take the initiative to impart medical and engineering education in the local language. The Centre will help all the state governments in using Indian languages to conduct administrative works, he said. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like We Can't Believe She Wore That To The Red Carpet Golfhooked Read More "I sincerely believe that Hindi can't be opposed ('virodhi') to any Indian language. Hindi is a friend ('sakhi') of all Indian languages," the home minister said. Hindi and other Indian languages together can take the self-esteem of the country's culture to its final destination, Shah said. Live Events The home minister also said that everyone should get rid of the slavery mentality and until a person takes pride in his own language, or does not express himself in his language, that person cannot be free from the mentality of slavery. "There is no opposition to any language. There should not be any opposition to any foreign language. But there should be an urge to glorify one's own language, there should be an urge to speak one's own language, there should be an urge to think in one's own language," he said. Shah also said that as far as the country is concerned, language is not just a medium of communication, it is the soul of a nation. "It is important to keep Indian languages alive and enrich them. We should make all efforts in the coming days for all Indian languages, especially for the official language," Shah said. Extending greetings to all the well wishes of the official language Hindi, the home minister congratulated the admirers of Indian languages across the country on the golden jubilee year of the department. Shah said this was the 50-year journey from 1975 to 2025 of the official language department and when India will celebrate the centenary of its Independence, the name of the official language will be inscribed in golden letters in the history of all the efforts made for the reawakening of India's pride.
Mint
26 minutes ago
- Mint
Pope Leo laments diabolical intensity of Middle East conflicts
VATICAN CITY, June 26 (Reuters) - Pope Leo said on Thursday that conflicts in the Middle East were raging with an unprecedented "diabolical intensity" and appealed for greater respect for international law, in comments to Catholic bishops and aid agencies operating in the region. At a meeting in the Vatican, the pontiff said countries in the region were being "devastated by wars, plundered by special interests, and covered by a cloud of hatred that renders the air unbreathable and toxic." "Today, violent conflict seems to be raging... with a diabolical intensity previously unknown," he said, adding that the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza was "tragic and inhumane". Leo, elected on May 8 to replace the late Pope Francis, appealed last month for Israel to allow more humanitarian aid to enter Gaza. He did not name Israel in his remarks on Thursday. The U.S.-born pope also did not directly address the recent 12-day war between Israel and Iran that also saw the United States bomb suspected Iranian nuclear facilities but he called for countries to show better respect for international law. "It is truly distressing to see the principle of 'might makes right' prevailing in so many situations today, all for the sake of legitimising the pursuit of self-interest," he said. "It is troubling to see that the force of international law and humanitarian law seems no longer to be binding, replaced by the alleged right to coerce others," Leo added. (Reporting by Joshua McElwee Editing by Gareth Jones)
