BRICS Faces Unity Strains as Security Disputes Challenge Its Expansion

BRICS, originally a five-nation coalition, expanded in 2023 to include Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates, plus ten partner states, prompting heightened Western attention. However, the rapid enlargement has exposed fissures, especially when Egypt and Ethiopia refused to back South Africa’s bid for a reformed UN Security Council, leading to the first-ever failure to issue a joint foreign-minister statement in September 2024 and again in April 2025.

The escalation of the United States-Israel-Iran conflict in early 2026, which later involved the UAE, further strained consensus, with a May 2026 foreign-minister meeting also ending without a joint declaration. A South African-led naval exercise involving China, Iran and Russia sparked additional controversy, as India abstained and the UAE kept its vessel docked. Nonetheless, BRICS has succeeded in creating a trans-continental alliance, surpassing the G-7 in economic output and operating a well-rated New Development Bank. Analysts argue the bloc must refocus on development projects and limit its security agenda to avoid paralysis in an increasingly conflict-driven world.