Multilateral Diplomacy

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu defended his country’s military operations in the Middle East during his UN General Assembly address, but several delegations walked out before he took the podium, according to BBC and other outlets. The walkout highlights persistent disagreements between Israel and multiple states over post-war Gaza arrangements and regional military activity, deepening divisions inside the multilateral forum.

The BBC reported on September 13 that the Iran war is reshaping cooperation within the Brics grouping while also exposing deep internal divisions over how to build an alternative international order, advance a common currency and set up a dispute-resolution mechanism. Brics members broadly agree that a new global order is needed but have so far failed to converge on what should replace the existing one or on how to make that vision operational. Several observers note that the Iran war could become the moment when the Brics shifts its priority from expansion to substantive coordination, but internal disagreements are likely to persist in the short term.