The 13th Summit of BRICS, which was founded by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, took place via teleconference hosted by India. Afghanistan was the main topic of the agenda at the summit. Evaluating the situation in Afghanistan, Putin said that the reason for the new crisis in Afghanistan is the irresponsible attempts of the USA trying to impose its own values. It is unclear how the crisis after the withdrawal of the USA will affect the security of the region and the world, he said. After the meetings of the leaders, a joint statement was published on behalf of the BRICS countries. The statement BRICS leaders called on to avoid violence in Afghanistan and to resolve the situation peacefully.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi issued a stern warning to the UK, Germany, and France, accusing them of making a “new strategic mistake” regarding Tehran’s nuclear program. In a social media post, Arakchi said, “Iran will give a tough and determined response to the violation of its rights,” criticizing the European trio for backing a resolution against Iran at the IAEA Board of Governors.
Arakchi condemned the move as baseless, recalling past disputes in 2005 which led to the expansion of Iran’s uranium enrichment. “Have these three really not learned any lessons in the last twenty years?” he said.
Meanwhile, the IAEA reported on May 31 that Iran’s 60% enriched uranium stockpile had grown from 274.8 kg in February to 408.6 kg by May 17. In response, the UK, Germany, and France are reportedly preparing to refer Iran’s file to the UN Security Council, which could activate the “snapback” mechanism and reimpose UN sanctions.
TR