Foreign ministers from BRICS nations have convened in India to address deepening internal fractures, with the ongoing conflict involving Iran and sustained volatility in global oil prices serving as primary stressors on the bloc's unity.
The gathering highlights the difficulty for the alliance to present a coordinated foreign policy stance when member states hold divergent interests regarding Middle Eastern security and energy supply chains.
The diplomatic session comes against a backdrop of mixed signals in energy markets.
Brent crude prices retreated in recent trading as investors digested reports of a potential ceasefire between the United States and Iran, which temporarily eased fears of a supply disruption in the Strait of Hormuz.
However, the underlying geopolitical risk premium remains fragile, with traders wary that any breakdown in direct talks could quickly reignite supply concerns.
Internal divisions within BRICS are being tested by these external shocks.