Baghdad, Sep 12: Ali al-Zaidi, Iraq’s Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, dismissed the Maysan Operations Commander on Saturday after authorities confirmed attacks targeting Saudi Arabia had been launched from a site in Maysan province in southern Iraq.

Al-Zaidi also ordered an investigation into the Maysan Operations Command by forming a special investigative council, Sabah al-Numan, spokesman for the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi forces, said in a statement.

The move came after the Iraqi government late Friday condemned the attacks on Saudi Arabia, saying it rejected “any aggression that threatens the Kingdom’s security and stability,” Xinhua News Agency reported.

The Iraqi government appreciated Saudi Arabia’s response to Baghdad’s efforts to contain the situation, Al-Numan said. “The state will not tolerate any activity that endangers Iraq or its relations with brotherly and friendly countries.”

Iraq also reaffirmed that its territory and airspace would “not be used as a launching point for attacks against any country,” and that its policy is based on respecting the sovereignty of states.

The Saudi Foreign Ministry said Friday that its East-West Pipeline was attacked by several drones launched from Iraq, causing injuries and damage.

Condemning the attacks in a statement, the ministry noted that at the request of the Iraqi prime minister, the kingdom had refrained from responding at this stage.

Saudi Arabia has invested heavily in the East-West Pipeline, which carries crude oil from its eastern fields to the Red Sea port of Yanbu, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.

In July, US and Saudi Arabian forces carried out precision airstrikes against Iran-aligned groups in eastern Iraq (local time) after more than 30 drone attacks targeted American troops and Saudi energy infrastructure, the US Central Command said.

US and Saudi fighter aircraft struck several logistics and weapons sites used by the groups, according to CENTCOM. It described the operation as a response to aerial attacks conducted over the previous 72 hours under the direction of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

“The unwarranted attacks against US forces were not successful,” CENTCOM said.

New Delhi, Sep 12: In a “major diplomatic breakthrough”, despite sharply divergent geopolitical positions among members, BRICS countries have reached consensus on a Joint Statement which is expected to be released later on Saturday on the first day of the 18th BRICS Summit being hosted by India at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi.

According to sources, India led sustained consultations and intensive negotiations from Friday till as late as 4 AM Saturday, making efforts to bridge competing positions and build consensus among members.

“The negotiations saw differences on several contentious issues. India led sustained consultations to bridge competing positions and build consensus among members. The breakthrough assumes particular significance given that Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE are all part of the same forum, despite deep differences and competing positions on several regional and geopolitical issues,” a source mentioned.

“Against the backdrop of ongoing conflicts and heightened tensions in West Asia, securing consensus among countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia and the UAE presented a particularly complex diplomatic challenge. India’s diplomatic prowess ensured that these differences did not derail the BRICS process, paving the way for a consensus Joint Statement despite sharply divergent geopolitical positions among member countries,” the source added.

Experts continue to hail India’s BRICS chairship considering how New Delhi has successfully navigated historic BRICS deadlock amid ongoing global conflicts.

Amid escalating tensions between Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the BRICS ministerial summit held in the national capital in May concluded without issuing a customary joint statement for the first time in the bloc’s history.

Instead, India had released only a Chair’s Statement and Outcome Document after deep divisions between Iran and the UAE prevented consensus among member nations.

All this while, India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have backed pursuing dialogue and diplomacy to resolve conflicts while highlighting at the same time that this is not an era of war and solution will not emerge from the battlefield.

At the same time, just like it during its G20 Presidency, BRICS chair India batted strongly to push interests of the Global South without turning the grouping anti-West.

“BRICS is also where India’s balancing act faces its toughest test. It remains contested terrain. The expansion of the grouping, resisted by both India and Brazil, has made consensus harder. Beneath the larger membership lies a familiar divide: India and Brazil largely see BRICS as an economic platform, while China and Russia see it as a geopolitical one,” a recent report in Australia-based ‘The Interpreter’ detailed.

It noted that India views itself as a reformist power rather than a revisionist one, pushing for a greater role in global governance, a permanent seat on the UN Security Council, and more influence over financial and technological rulemaking. It seeks to alter parts of the international order while preserving a system that has been central to its own rise.

New Delhi, Sep 12: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim held a meeting on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi on Saturday and reviewed progress in bilateral cooperation across various sectors.

During the meeting, the two leaders expressed their continued commitment to advancing the India-Malaysia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Anwar Ibrahim conveyed Malaysia’s concurrence to the establishment of the Consulate General of India in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, according to the statement released by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

“Prime Minister Modi warmly welcomed Prime Minister Ibrahim to India and appreciated Malaysia’s participation in the BRICS Summit as a Partner Country. The leaders took stock of the outcomes of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Malaysia in February 2026 and reviewed the progress in bilateral cooperation across a range of areas, including trade and investment, defence and security, semiconductors, infrastructure, digital economy, energy, fintech, education, tourism and people-to-people ties,” the MEA mentioned in a statement.

Both leaders discussed key regional and global issues of mutual interest. PM Modi appreciated Malaysia’s continued support in strengthening India-ASEAN ties.

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia on the sidelines of 18th BRICS Summit. Building on Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Malaysia in February 2026, the leaders reviewed the progress in bilateral cooperation across a range of areas, including trade and investment, defence and security, semiconductors, infrastructure, digital economy, energy, fintech, education, tourism and people-to-people ties. The leaders exchanged views on key regional and global issues of mutual interest,” the MEA posted on X.

PM Modi’s meeting with Anwar Ibrahim took India’s ties with Malaysia on a new trajectory. Malaysia expressed keenness for stronger defence cooperation with India, and joint personnel training as well as defence procurement were discussed during the meeting, according to Government of India sources.

Malaysia welcomed Indian industry and investment. Furthermore, semiconductor opportunities between India and Malaysia were discussed during the meeting between PM Modi and Anwar Ibrahim, according to the sources.

The Malaysian PM arrived in New Delhi on Friday to attend the 18th BRICS Summit. He was warmly received by the Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, at the airport.

Extending a warm welcome to the visiting leader, the MEA stated on X, “India and Malaysia share close and longstanding ties, marked by growing cooperation across trade, investment, digital economy, defence and security. The visit builds on the momentum of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Malaysia earlier this year.”

During his visit, Anwar Ibrahim will travel to Kerala to meet India’s Grand Mufti.

“My itinerary in India also includes a visit to Kerala to meet the Grand Mufti of India to exchange views on community development, education, and religious affairs. Following the Diplomatic Mission in India, I will then proceed to Male, Maldives, to undertake an official visit at the invitation of President Dr Mohamed Muizzu. May all matters be facilitated and this visit bring tangible benefits to the people and the nation,” Ibrahim posted on X.

As BRICS chair in 2026, India is set to host the two-day BRICS Summit in New Delhi from today, bringing together leaders of BRICS members, partner countries and outreach invitees.

India’s BRICS chairship is guided by the theme: ‘Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability’, reflecting PM Modi’s vision of a people-centric approach rooted in the spirit of “Humanity First.” In addition to these areas, the leaders will exchange views on strengthening intra-BRICS cooperation on common priorities and share perspectives on global and regional matters of mutual importance.

BRICS comprises Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. BRICS partner countries are: Belarus, Cuba, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, Uzbekistan and Vietnam.