Is the war entering a new phase? The annual BRICS summit has opened in New Delhi, with China's President Xi Jinping, Russia's President Vladimir Putin and Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian among those attending. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi is hosting the two-day meeting, the fourth time the country has hosted a BRICS summit. Expansion of non-Western cross-border payment channels and cooperation on artificial intelligence are also key items on the agenda. President Xi arrived in the Indian capital on Saturday morning, his first visit to the country in seven years as the two Asian giants seek to thaw relations.

In an address to the 79th United Nations General Assembly Tuesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian claimed to be the one playing peacemaker in the Middle East and, in a juxtaposition, accused Israel of supporting terrorism. Pezeshkian called on the U.N. to "examine" modern history and said, "Iran has never initiated a war. It has only defended itself heroically against external aggression, causing the aggressors to regret their actions," Pezeshkian said, adding that Iran does not "occupy" territory or exploit resources for other countries. "It has repeatedly offered various proposals to its neighbors and international fora aimed at establishing lasting peace and stability," he said. "We have emphasized the importance of unity in the region and establishing a strong region." Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian walks, on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 24, 2024.