Iran's geopolitical gamble in turning to BRICS

• Main Author: Dzulhisham, Huzeir Ezekiel
• Other Authors: S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
• Format: Commentary
• Language: English
• Published: 2025
• Subjects: Social Sciences; Country and region studies; International politics and security
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/182012
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Iran’s pivot to BRICS is a high-stakes gamble that, in the best-case scenario, allows Tehran to survive economically and diplomatically without the West. Yet these payoffs remain hypothetical scenarios impeded by BRICS’s institutional deficiencies. Worse still, closer Iranian relations with BRICS exacerbate Western suspicions of an anti-US alliance of authoritarian states, worsening Iran’s future ties with the West and provoking more sanctions. This commentary discusses what is at stake for Iranian alignment with BRICS.