KEMETIC MINDS — BREAKING NEWS
September 12, 2026
Leaders of the 11-nation BRICS group adopted a joint declaration in New Delhi on Saturday calling for “maximum restraint” in the Middle East, overcoming earlier divisions that had blocked a joint statement in May [1][2].
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hosting the two-day summit, with China’s President Xi Jinping, Russia’s President Vladimir Putin and Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian among those attending [2].
Key Facts
- The joint declaration voices “deep concern over the continued escalation of tensions” across the Middle East and calls for “maximum restraint,” warning against deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure and on nuclear facilities in particular [2].
- It expresses “firm opposition” to the forced displacement of Palestinians and to changing the geography or demography of the occupied territory, and calls for an end to Israeli violence in Gaza, support for UNRWA and full United Nations membership for Palestine [2].
- Foreign ministers of the grouping had failed to agree on a joint statement when they met in New Delhi in May, with Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates divided over the war that began with US-Israeli strikes on February 28 [1].
- Modi said BRICS nations “represent 50 percent of the world’s population, 40 percent of global GDP and more than 25 percent of global trade” [1].
- Xi’s arrival in the Indian capital marked his first visit to the country in seven years, as the two Asian giants seek to thaw relations [2].
What the Declaration Covers
Beyond the Middle East, the declaration covers expansion of non-Western cross-border payment channels, cooperation on artificial intelligence, and opposition to unilateral sanctions and tariffs [2].
On Palestine, the text reiterates the bloc’s position opposing the forced displacement of Palestinians and any change to the geography or demography of occupied territory [2].
Xi told the summit the fighting in the Middle East did not serve the world’s interests. “As the situation in the Middle East and the Gulf region continues to evolve, the war there has caused serious losses to people across the region,” China’s Xinhua quoted Xi as saying. It “does not serve the common interests of the international community,” he said [2].
Modi framed the bloc’s role in broader terms as he opened the meeting. “We have to transform this pyramid of privilege into a platform of partnership,” he told Xi, Putin, Pezeshkian and other leaders [1].
Diplomacy on the Sidelines
Modi held talks with Putin on Friday, agreeing to deepen ties, and met Pezeshkian, raising freedom of navigation and the safety of ship crews in the Strait of Hormuz [2].
Pezeshkian attended shortly after warning that the Middle East does not need the United States to be a “regional policeman,” with the two countries at war and tensions threatening the vital strait [1]. He met with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on the summit sidelines [1].
India has navigated the energy crisis caused by the US-Iran war in part by turning to Russia, despite Moscow’s war in Ukraine and pressure from Washington and other Western capitals [1].
Also attending are South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, Egypt’s Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Ethiopia’s Abiy Ahmed and Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto. The United Arab Emirates sent the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi [2].
BRICS was created in 2009 as a forum for major emerging economies seeking greater influence in institutions dominated by Western powers [1].
What’s Still Unconfirmed
The full text of the declaration has not been published in the sourcing, which summarizes its contents rather than quoting it in full. The Jakarta Post reports that leaders issued the statement “after intense diplomatic efforts by host India,” but the sources do not detail what changed between the failed May ministerial meeting and Saturday’s agreement, nor which countries shifted position.
Figure 1
Connecting the dots: names that keep appearing together
Note. Built from the stories cited in this report. A line means two names appeared in the same sourced story — it shows overlap in the coverage, not a proven connection between them.
Black Excellence This Week
The hard news is real, and so is this. Wins reported by the Black press in the last 14 days:
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What You Can Do This Week
Not just bad news — here is where to push.
- Call your representative’s office and urge them to back a ceasefire resolution and protect shipping lanes from further escalation — Find your U.S. representative
- Urge your senators to co-sponsor a War Powers Resolution requiring congressional authorization before any U.S. military response in the Middle East — Find your U.S. senators
- Tell your state legislators to pass a resolution backing federal diplomacy over military escalation and shielding local families from fuel price spikes — Find your state legislators
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- Thejakartapost. (2026, September 12). BRICS nations call for ‘maximum restraint’ in Middle East war. thejakartapost.com ↩a ↩b ↩c ↩d ↩e ↩f ↩g ↩h
- Al Jazeera. (2026, September 12). BRICS nations urge ‘restraint’ in Middle East, smooth flow of global trade. aljazeera.com ↩a ↩b ↩c ↩d ↩e ↩f ↩g ↩h ↩i ↩j
Methodology: This report covers a single breaking story, selected because it was independently covered by multiple news outlets within the last 20 hours. It is grounded only in the fetched, cited source text above and does not draw comparisons to other news. No Wikipedia sources are used, and no embeds are auto-generated.