https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/6/is-brics-bloc-divided-over-us-israel-attacks-on-iran

Nearly a week into the United States-Israel war on Iran and the BRICS bloc, a multi-country alliance that includes Tehran, has not reacted in any form to the conflict.

To analysts and political observers, that seems out of character. When the 12-day war between Israel and Iran broke out in June last year, the bloc, which Brazil then chaired, was quick to state that US-Israeli joint attacks on Iran were a “violation of international law”.

However, since the chairmanship of BRICS shifted to India in December 2025, New Delhi’s own interests appear to be overriding the alliance’s objectives, critics say, as India signals closer ties with Israel and the US.

The 11-member BRICS grouping was formed as an economic alliance in 2009 and is widely regarded as a “Global South” alternative to the exclusive Group of Seven (G7) alliance of industrialised economies.

US President Donald Trump once accused its members of being “anti-American”, although BRICS has said it does not see itself as competing with or countering any other groups.

I am a great fan of Geoffrey Robertson, but his latest statement that the actions of Israel and the US against that regime are 'war crimes' is evading the point.

When the world is confronted with an extremist theologically based group whose fundamental tenets dictate to them that they, and they alone, must conquer and rule the entire world by the dictates and values of that religious belief - and that this is a divine right and duty demanded of them - there is no middle ground.

In order to attain their religously demanded Khaliphate, it is required of them that they either genocide or enslave or somehow remove from the Earth - the entire planet - ANYONE who does not accept fully their religion's tenets... and that even includes different strands of their basic religious group.

In dealing with such people who suffer such delusions and create so much mayhem as a result - there is no possibility of there being any war crime.  It is - to them - literally a war to the finish and a war with no boundaries... and THAT is the greatest crime of all - so any action against them cannot be illegal.

Israel and the US, in terminating their insane ideology, will kill a hell of a lot fewer people than they will.

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