Pezeshkian Urges BRICS to End Western Economic Dominance

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian urged BRICS nations to expand trade in national currencies and strengthen the New Development Bank during the concluding session of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi. Pezeshkian argued that reliance on current financial systems leaves emerging economies vulnerable to political shocks and criticized Western unilateral sanctions for harming global food security and welfare.

Linking economic resilience to security, Pezeshkian condemned military aggression by the United States and Israel against Iranian infrastructure and characterized conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon as crimes and genocide. He offered Iran's energy resources and geopolitical position to develop new trade corridors and advocated for the use of artificial intelligence as a tool for empowerment rather than domination.

On the sidelines of the summit, Pezeshkian held ice-breaking talks with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, where both agreed to put the past behind them following diplomatic strain over Iranian attacks on U.S. bases in the United Arab Emirates. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi also met with Pezeshkian, urging Iran to stop regional escalation and pursue a peaceful settlement to current crises. Pezeshkian further held brief discussions on economic cooperation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.