Iran, Russia condemn Western economic sanctions and urge BRICS bloc to deepen economic ties

In this pool photograph distributed by the Russian state agency Sputnik, (L-R front row) India's Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa pose for a photo with the leaders of the BRICS Business Council and the BRICS Women's Business Alliance during the BRICS Business Forum 2026 in New Delhi on September 11, 2026. Dmitry Azarov | Afp | Getty ImagesIranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday criticized Western sanctions on their economies and urged countries of the Global South to deepen trade relations as they addressed the BRICS Business Forum."BRICS must create an environment in which no country can disrupt the legitimate trade of another country through monopolizing a financial instrument or technology," Pezeshkian said in New Delhi. He urged the bloc, which has sought to amplify the influence of the Global South, to expand the use of national currencies to trade among member countries.Pressure on Iran has entered a "dangerous phase," shifting from sanctions to military aggression by the U....