Pezeshkian urges BRICS to resist unilateral sanctions

“Multilateralism and free trade are two sides of the same coin,” Pezeshkian told a virtual BRICS Summit focused on the global economy and multilateral order on Monday. “Without multilateral mechanisms, free trade becomes a tool in the hands of major powers, and without access to a free trading system, multilateralism is stripped of its meaning and function.”  

He described unilateral sanctions and economic restrictions as one of the greatest threats to the international system, undermining national interests, disrupting cooperation, and making sustainable development impossible.

Pezeshkian also pointed to recent conflicts in the Middle East and Latin America – including the US-Israeli aggression against Iran in June, the genocide in Gaza, attacks on Lebanon and Yemen, and the US threats against Venezuela – as proof that the current world order had failed to ensure global peace, justice, and security.  

The president called for reforms to global governance, including changes to the UN Security Council and international financial structures, and urged BRICS to develop a joint framework to counter sanctions, promote innovation and strengthen sustainable development.