BRICS Summit: Iran's Rise to Prominence in West Asia Amidst Gaza War

India is hosting the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on September 2026. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, and UAE Crown Prince Sheikh Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan are on the same stage. All three countries stand on opposite sides of the Middle East's largest war. For Saudi Arabia, which is considered the pivot of Sunni Islam worldwide,'silence'and Iran's'bravery'have become the new perceptions. Between the expansion of BRICS and changing global equations, the balance of power in West Asia is changing rapidly. The war that broke out in Gaza since 7 October 2023 has shaken the politics of the entire Islamic world. Historically, the issue of Palestine was dominated by Sunni Arab rulers, but now Iran has taken that place. Iran has shown its religious presence not only through Hamas, but also through its political presence in Gaza-Shia and'martyrdom'in the eyes of the Shia world. It has become a'resistance'in the eyes of the general public.