A handful of countries in the Middle East are expressing their interest in joining the BRICS alliance despite being close partners with the US. Countries like the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Egypt, and Iran joined BRICS this year after receiving an invitation from the bloc in 2023. Saudi Arabia also received the invitation and could be a part of the grouping soon.
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Therefore, oil-rich countries are now part of the alliance and could challenge the US in the energy sector next. Read here to know how many sectors in the US will be affected if BRICS and the Middle East ditch the dollar for trade.
US Reacts To BRICS Expansion of Middle East Countries
The US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan reacted to the new BRICS expansion which includes Middle East countries. Sullivan explained that the US is not behind and is much ahead of the curve as it is signing new partnerships with BRICS countries. The NSA advisor stressed that India-US ties have reached new highs than any point before.
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“The partnership between the US and India, a country in BRICS, has gone to new heights. With an engagement across technology and security and so many other dimensions,” he told reporters at a White House news conference.
He also explained that the US relations with BRICS members Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iran, and Ethiopia are “very good”. He said, “I think if you look at the US role and standing in its relationships across the key regions of the world, we feel very good about where we are”.
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Sullivan stressed that not just BRICS, but the US has extended ties with NATO and other alliances. “If you look at what’s happened with NATO, we’ve made NATO larger than ever. You look at what’s just happening this week, a historic trilateral with the US, Japan, and the Philippines. Look across the Indo-Pacific at how we’ve upgraded our relations not just with traditional allies. But with the likes of Vietnam, Indonesia, ASEAN as a whole,” he said.
In conclusion, Sullivan explained that the US has better relations with BRICS countries and other alliances. Therefore, the concept of them taking over the US or the dollar is unlikely in the future.