The annual BRICS summit commenced today in New Delhi, India, bringing together leaders including China's President Xi Jinping, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, and Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian. Hosted by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this marks India's fourth time hosting the significant international gathering.

The summit convenes at a particularly challenging global juncture. Ongoing wars in the Middle East and Ukraine are causing considerable disruption to energy and shipping routes, while trade tariffs and geopolitical tensions are expected to dominate discussions among member nations. The bloc faces internal divisions on how best to respond to these multifaceted crises.

Key agenda items include the expansion of non-Western cross-border payment channels and cooperation on artificial intelligence. President Xi arrived in the Indian capital on Saturday, his first visit to the country in seven years, signaling a potential thaw in relations between the two Asian powers. Prior to the summit, Prime Minister Modi held bilateral talks with President Putin, agreeing to deepen ties, and with President Pezeshkian, discussing freedom of navigation and maritime security.

Other notable attendees include Egypt's President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, and Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto. The United Arab Emirates is represented by its crown prince of Abu Dhabi, while Brazil's Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira is attending in place of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The heads of the World Health Organization, the World Trade Organization, and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres are also present.

Divisions within the bloc are evident, particularly concerning geopolitical conflicts. Iran and the United Arab Emirates find themselves on opposing sides of the conflict involving the United States and Israel. While last year's summit saw a joint declaration condemning actions against Iran, a recent meeting of BRICS foreign ministers failed to produce a unified statement on the conflict, highlighting the growing divergence.

Economic friction is also a significant concern. The bloc's finance ministers and central bank governors have voiced objections to tariffs and non-tariff measures, which they argue distort trade and contravene World Trade Organization rules. The United States has imposed tariffs on several BRICS members under various pretexts, often linking their removal to policy changes. Former US President Donald Trump has previously characterized the bloc as "anti-American."

Reporting from New Delhi, Al Jazeera's Um-e-Kulsoom Shariff noted the delicate position of the host nation. "As the host, New Delhi has a delicate balancing act," she stated, emphasizing the pressure to navigate these complex international dynamics.

The summit's proceedings and the resulting declarations will be closely watched for indications of BRICS' evolving role in a multipolar world, particularly its capacity to forge consensus on critical global security and economic issues amidst escalating international tensions.