Iran will welcome any initiative by India aimed at ending the conflict in West Asia and restoring security and stability,
though one BRICS member nation is obstructing consensus within the bloc over the finalisation of a joint declaration, Iranian deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said on Wednesday ahead of an important meeting of the grouping. Gharibabadi, who is part of the Iranian delegation engaged in negotiations with the US, spoke to a small group of journalists hours before Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi arrived in New Delhi to attend a meeting of BRICS foreign ministers scheduled for May 14–15. Araghchi is also expected to hold bilateral discussions with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
With nearly a dozen Indian-flagged ships still positioned west of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively closed since the outbreak of the West Asia conflict on February 28, Gharibabadi stated that Tehran is finalising protocols and arrangements concerning “fees” that every vessel using the route will need to pay. He stressed that this should not be viewed as a toll and explained that the charges would be linked to services provided by the coastal states of Iran and Oman.
While Iran remains fully prepared either for negotiations with the US leading to the “cessation of war” or for renewed hostilities, Gharibabadi said his country would welcome any initiative from the “great nation of India” that contributes to peace, security and stability in the region. India and other developing nations, he said, should “make every effort to prevent the return of war”.
“For Iran and the wider world, insecurity, instability and conflict will produce negative consequences,” he stated. Rejecting the perception that the conflict is limited to Iran, Israel and the US, he said the war has “global impacts and implications”. He added, “It’s the duty of developing [and] independent countries like India, which seek peace, stability and security, [to assist in ending the conflict].”
Gharibabadi, who met External Affairs Ministry Secretary (West) Sibi George on Wednesday, said he had urged the Indian side to propose an initiative to end the West Asia conflict. “India is a major [and] influential country, if India comes forward with an initiative, we will welcome that,” he said.
Gharibabadi stated that one BRICS member nation was preventing consensus on a joint declaration for the bloc’s summit scheduled in September by demanding inclusion of language condemning Iran. Though he did not explicitly identify the country, it was apparent he was referring to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Differences between Iran and the UAE have previously delayed joint statements during BRICS meetings.
“We support having the final declaration because first, this is taking place during India’s presidency and we want the meeting to succeed. Second, it does not send a good message to the world if BRICS appears divided,” Gharibabadi said. Asked whether he was referring to the UAE, he responded that only one of Iran’s neighbouring countries is a BRICS member and expressed hope that this nation would show flexibility in finalising the declaration.
The UAE joined BRICS following the bloc’s expansion in 2024. Although Saudi Arabia was also invited to become a member, it has not yet assumed full membership in the grouping.
“There is one neighbouring country of Iran that is insisting on [condemning] Iran in the final declaration,” Gharibabadi said. “We have not attacked our neighbouring countries… We have targeted US military bases located in neighbouring countries.”
Iran has documented thousands of fighter jet and missile attacks launched by the US from territories of neighbouring states, he said. He added that it would be unacceptable for Iran to be condemned in the joint declaration without similar condemnation of the actions of Israel and the US.
Responding to a question from HT regarding media reports that the UAE and Saudi Arabia had participated in attacks on Iran, Gharibabadi said: “Yes, that’s correct.”
Iran has recorded direct attacks originating from two neighbouring countries and has also criticised and warned them, he said. “We have provided them with documents showing that they were directly involved [in attacks]... This new information appearing in Western media was already known to us,” he added.
Gharibabadi clarified that all vessels using the Strait of Hormuz will now be required to pay a fee or charge for navigation and rescue services offered by Iran and Oman. “Iran and Oman, as the two coastal states, are providing certain services… We did not charge vessels over past decades, but now we have concluded that the time has come to impose charges on vessels,” he said.
“It is not a toll. We are not a party to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, so we do not have any international obligation,” he said, adding that the protocols and arrangements being prepared will be non-discriminatory, transparent and in line with international law.
