WANA (Sep 12) – Gharibabadi on Saturday reviewed the main provisions of the Delhi Declaration, the final document of the 18th BRICS Summit adopted at the conclusion of the leaders’ meeting earlier in the day.

 

Attacks on peaceful nuclear facilities, civilian infrastructure condemned

Referring to Paragraph 29 of the Delhi Declaration, Gharibabadi said BRICS leaders had expressed “serious concern” over deliberate attacks against civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities under full International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards, describing such actions as violations of international law and IAEA resolutions.

 

“The inclusion of this paragraph in the official declaration of BRICS leaders reflects a growing global consensus on the illegality of attacks against safeguarded nuclear facilities,” he said. “Iran has always insisted on this legal principle, and this position is now reflected at the level of a credible international institution.”

 

West Asia tensions, restraint and respect for territorial integrity

Referring to Paragraph 28, Gharibabadi said the declaration expresses deep concern over escalating tensions in West Asia and calls for “maximum restraint” and avoidance of any action that could further escalate the situation. He said it also stresses the need to uphold the sovereignty and territorial integrity of states in accordance with the United Nations Charter.

 

“This paragraph shows that the international community, including the world’s largest emerging economies, attributes responsibility for escalating tensions to acts of aggression against independent states and stresses respect for national sovereignty,” he said.

 

Opposition to unilateral sanctions and coercive measures

Gharibabadi also pointed to Paragraphs 22 and 27 of the declaration, saying they explicitly condemn the imposition of “unilateral coercive measures,” including economic sanctions and secondary sanctions, as actions contrary to international law.

 

He said the paragraphs also highlight the damaging effects of such measures on the human rights of populations in targeted countries, including the rights to development, health and food security, as well as their disproportionate impact on vulnerable groups, and call for the removal of such “unlawful measures.”

 

“This explicit BRICS position amounts in practice to delegitimizing unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States and its allies against Iran and other countries,” Gharibabadi said.

 

Support for Iran’s WTO accession

Referring to Paragraph 20 of the Delhi Declaration, Gharibabadi said BRICS leaders had explicitly voiced strong support for “Iran’s application for accession to the World Trade Organization.”

 

He said the support had been expressed within the broader framework of reforming and strengthening the multilateral trading system and increasing the role of the Global South within it.

 

National-currency trade and greater financial independence

Turning to Paragraphs 90, 93, 94 and 97, Gharibabadi said the declaration stresses continued work by the BRICS Payments Task Force to facilitate faster, lower-cost, transparent and secure cross-border settlements among member states.

 

He said the document also calls for advancing technical discussions on a New Investment Platform and independent securities settlement and depository infrastructure, strengthening the BRICS Contingent Reserve Arrangement as an alternative financial safety net and welcoming participation by new members.

 

The declaration also calls for expanding the scope of the New Development Bank, particularly financing in local currencies, he added. “The gradual but expanding development of independent BRICS financial infrastructure is paving a practical path toward reducing member states’ dependence on the dollar and the SWIFT system in foreign trade,” Gharibabadi said.

 

Reform of global governance and international financial institutions

Referring to Paragraphs 7, 13, 17 and 18, Gharibabadi said the declaration stresses the need for comprehensive reform of the United Nations, including the Security Council, to increase representation for developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

 

He said it also calls for reform of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank so that the real weight of emerging economies is reflected in quotas and voting power.

 

The declaration also condemns attempts to unilaterally weaken multilateral institutions, including through the deliberate withholding of membership contributions, he said.

 

“These provisions once again stress the need to move away from a unipolar order toward a fairer and more multipolar order, a position that has consistently been emphasized in Iran’s foreign policy,” Gharibabadi said.

 

Support for Palestine, opposition to Israeli occupation

Referring to Paragraphs 30 to 34, Gharibabadi said the declaration expresses deep concern over continued violence in Gaza despite the ceasefire and stresses the need for full and unhindered humanitarian access.

 

He said the document also explicitly opposes any policy aimed at forcibly displacing Palestinians from Gaza or changing the territory’s geographical or demographic character.

 

It further stresses the Palestinians’ right to self-determination and return and supports full United Nations membership for the State of Palestine, he added.

 

“The condemnation of the use of starvation as a method of warfare, attacks on civilians, hospitals and other civilian infrastructure, as well as references to the provisional measures issued by the International Court of Justice in South Africa’s case against the Israeli regime, are among the other elements of this section,” Gharibabadi said.

 

He added that the declaration firmly rejects any unilateral attempt to alter the legal and historical status of occupied Al-Quds.

 

“These paragraphs show that an overwhelming majority of the world’s emerging economies speak with one voice in condemning the Israeli regime’s crimes against the Palestinian people and supporting their legitimate rights,” he said.

 

Support for Lebanese sovereignty, condemnation of Israeli aggression

Referring to Paragraphs 35 and 36, Gharibabadi said the declaration condemns repeated violations of the Lebanon ceasefire and continued aggression against the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

 

He said it also explicitly calls on the Israeli regime to withdraw its occupying forces from all Lebanese territory, stresses the inviolability of UNIFIL peacekeepers and condemns attacks against them.

 

“This explicit condemnation once again highlights at the international level the Israeli regime’s pattern of violating ceasefires and the sovereignty of regional states,” Gharibabadi said.

 

Safeguarding sovereignty and territorial integrity

Referring to Paragraphs 23, 24 and 38, Gharibabadi said the document repeatedly stresses respect for the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of states and the need for political processes to be “led and owned” by the peoples concerned, free from foreign interference.

 

He said it also calls for occupying forces to withdraw from the territories of third countries and emphasizes that disputes must be resolved solely through dialogue and diplomacy.

 

The declaration additionally warns about the alarming rise in global military expenditure at the expense of development resources in developing countries, he added.

 

“These principles reflect the backbone of Iran’s position on mutual respect for national sovereignty and opposition to foreign interference and military aggression in the official document of an international institution,” Gharibabadi said.

 

Nuclear weapon-free zone in the Middle East

Referring to Paragraph 25, the deputy foreign minister said the declaration stresses the importance of accelerating implementation of resolutions on establishing a Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.

 

Gharibabadi said the provision underscores the need for genuine and non-discriminatory implementation of the initiative. “The Israeli regime’s nuclear program, as the only undeclared possessor of nuclear weapons in the region, must be at the center of attention in this process,” he said. Fighting terrorism without double standards

 

Referring to Paragraph 40, Gharibabadi said all acts of terrorism, regardless of their motivation, timing, location or perpetrator, are unequivocally condemned in the declaration.

 

He said the document also stresses that terrorism should not be associated with any religion, nationality, civilization or ethnic group and calls for the “rejection of double standards” in counterterrorism.

 

“This provision supports Iran’s longstanding position that the international community must deal with terrorism consistently and without selectively applying standards based on political considerations,” he said.

 

Multilateralism, multipolar world order and Global South

Gharibabadi also referred to Paragraphs 2, 7 and 10, saying the declaration stresses strengthening multilateralism and the development of a multipolar international order instead of unilateral domination.

 

He said the role of the Global South as a driver of positive transformation in the face of geopolitical, economic and technological challenges is also highlighted.

 

“This broader outlook is aligned with Iran’s foreign policy strategy of strengthening cooperation with the East and the Global South and reducing dependence on the Western-dominated order,” he said.

 

Energy and strategic minerals cooperation with respect for sovereignty

Referring to Paragraphs 64 to 67, Gharibabadi said the declaration stresses energy security, diversification of supply sources and the protection of critical energy infrastructure.

 

He said it also recognizes the continuing role of fossil fuels in the global energy mix, particularly for emerging and developing economies, while stressing the full sovereignty of resource-rich countries over their mineral reserves and their right to adopt sovereign policies governing those resources.

 

Delhi Declaration aligned with Iran on several key issues

Concluding his remarks, Gharibabadi said the Delhi Declaration, as the official document of the 18th BRICS Summit, is aligned with Iran’s positions on several major issues, ranging from condemnation of attacks on peaceful nuclear facilities and opposition to unilateral sanctions to support for Iran’s WTO accession and the Palestinian cause.

 

“This alignment shows that a foreign policy based on strengthening cooperation with the East and the Global South is helping turn Iran’s positions into part of a growing consensus among emerging and developing countries,” he said.

 

“Iran welcomes these positions while stressing the need to translate the declaration’s general commitments, particularly in the areas of national currencies and independent payment mechanisms, into specific, time-bound practical steps.”