The recent escalation in Yemen, marked by Houthi drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Abha, Najran, and Jizan followed by retaliatory Saudi airstrikes, and the rebel capture of Mocha and strategic Bab al-Mandab islands, casts a heavy shadow over the BRICS Summit in New Delhi. Host

The recent escalation in Yemen, marked by Houthi drone and missile strikes on Saudi Aramco facilities in Abha, Najran, and Jizan followed by retaliatory Saudi airstrikes, and the rebel capture of Mocha and strategic Bab al-Mandab islands, casts a heavy shadow over the BRICS Summit in New Delhi. Hosting both Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Saudi leadership presents India with an unprecedented diplomatic tightrope.

New Delhi’s primary challenge lies in hammering out a consensus declaration amid acute regional hostility. Tehran views the summit as a platform to resist Western pressure and legitimize regional resistance, while Riyadh demands unequivocal condemnation of proxy aggression threatening its sovereignty and vital Red Sea shipping lanes. Reconciling these diametrically opposed security postures without diluting the final communique threatens collective unity.

Yet, this crisis offers India a prime brokering opportunity. Bound by critical energy dependencies and strong bilateral ties to both Riyadh and Tehran, Prime Minister Narendra Modi can leverage India’s non-aligned credibility to engineer backchannel dialogue. By anchoring discussions on commercial maritime security and energy stability, New Delhi could broker an immediate pause on strikes, transforming a divisive geopolitical fracture into a landmark triumph for Indian diplomacy.