NEW DELHI -- The head of Iran’s parliamentary delegation told Chinese and Brazilian counterparts at the 12th BRICS Parliamentary Forum here on Monday that China’s veto of a U.S. resolution against Iran at the Security Council placed it “on the right side of multilateralism”.
Ahmad Naderi, who also heads the Iran-Brazil parliamentary friendship group, met separately with Zheng Jianbang, vice chairman of China’s National People’s Congress, and the head of Brazil’s parliamentary delegation on the sidelines of the forum, held as Iran marks 55 years of ties with China and a decade of their comprehensive strategic partnership. 
Naderi thanked Beijing for defending Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and for promoting multilateralism at the UN, the Security Council and other international bodies, saying China’s veto of the U.S. resolution against Iran at the Security Council and its negative vote at the IAEA Board of Governors “once again showed this country stands on the right side of multilateralism, justice and protecting the interests of the Global South.” 
He also praised Beijing for not recognizing the U.S. plan for Iran’s “economic exclusion,” saying strategic and robust ties with China are a priority for Tehran.
Zheng said China seeks to deepen relations with Iran at all levels and that the two countries’ parliaments should facilitate government ties, describing the U.S. war against Iran as damaging to global peace and stability and saying it must end as soon as possible. 
“They know that America first attacks and then seeks negotiations; then it repeats this process to achieve its goals,” he said, adding that Washington uses similar strategies against China and that Beijing is ready to support Iran and promote justice globally.
In his meeting with the Brazilian delegation head, Naderi warned that the U.S. is seeking to weaken national sovereignty through “interventionist innovations,” including in Latin America, and urged BRICS members to counter actions that have become a fixed practice in U.S. foreign policy. 
He highlighted Brazil’s role as a pillar of BRICS and the Global South in strengthening multilateralism, and said Iran supports the bloc’s approach to improving the international financial and trade system. 
Noting that 123 years have passed since Iran and Brazil established formal relations, he said trade volume has grown satisfactorily but much capacity remains untapped.
The Brazilian delegation head expressed solidarity with Iran, saying Brazil’s president has formally opposed the war and repeatedly stressed support for peace and peaceful solutions. 
“We believe this war must end immediately and the conditions imposed on you benefit no one,” he said, rejecting U.S. interventionist behavior such as in Venezuela and describing BRICS as an important platform for diversifying the economic relations of sanctioned countries.
 He said Brazil welcomes identifying Iran’s capacities as an important partner in West Asia for expanding trade cooperation.
The Iranian delegation includes Naderi, Abbas Moqtadaei, head of the Iran-India friendship group, and Ali Haddadi, its deputy. BRICS currently comprises 11 countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Argentina.