CURRENT AFFAIRS | MAY 15, 2026
Foreign ministers of BRICS+ — Iran’s Abbas Aragchchi, Russia’s Sergey Lavrov, the UAE’s Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Brazil’s Mauro Vieira, Indonesia’s Sugiono and South Africa’s Lamola — met PM Modi and EAM S Jaishankar in Delhi on May 14. India tabled the line: “stability cannot be selective, peace not piecemeal”. With 14 Indian-flagged vessels stranded in the Persian Gulf and India having condemned Iran’s attack on an Indian vessel off Oman as “unacceptable”, two India-bound LPG tankers (Marshall Islands-flagged Symi and Vietnam-flagged NV Sunshine) crossed the Strait of Hormuz May 13-14 — the first since the West Asia escalation. Jaishankar warned of a two-state solution as the only durable Palestine answer. For CLAT 2027, this is a high-yield International Law + Current Affairs passage covering UNCLOS, BRICS expansion, and India’s mediation posture.
Constitutional & Legal Framework
- UNCLOS, 1982 — governs innocent passage through straits and territorial seas.
- Article 51, Constitution — DPSP directing the State to promote international peace.
- Article 253 — Parliament’s power to legislate for implementing international treaties.
- UN Charter Art 2(4) — prohibits threat or use of force against another state.
- Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961 — framework for diplomatic missions.
- India-Iran Chabahar Agreement (2024) — 10-year operation contract for Shahid Beheshti terminal.
- BRICS+ expansion (Jan 2024) — added Iran, UAE, Egypt, Ethiopia to BRICS.
Why It Matters for CLAT 2027
High-probability passage angles:
- India’s non-alignment to multi-alignment / strategic autonomy doctrine.
- Innocent passage through Hormuz — Corfu Channel case (ICJ, 1949).
- BRICS vs G7 vs QUAD — comparative groupings.
- Two-state solution and the Oslo Accords (1993-95).
- Sea-lane security and India’s IOR maritime doctrine (SAGAR).
- Article 253 + Foreign Trade (D&R) Act, 1992 for sanction compliance.
Key Facts to Memorise
- BRICS members: Brazil + Russia + India + China + South Africa
- BRICS+ (Jan 2024): + Iran, UAE, Egypt, Ethiopia
- 2026 BRICS Chair: India (handover from Brazil, Jul 2026)
- Hormuz share: ~20% global crude, 30% global LNG
- Stranded Indian vessels: 14 in Persian Gulf
- Tankers crossing May 13-14: Symi (Marshall) + NV Sunshine (Vietnam)
- Iranian FM: Abbas Aragchchi
- Indian port in Iran: Chabahar (Shahid Beheshti terminal)
- UNCLOS adopted: 1982 (in force 1994)
Mnemonic / Quick Recall
“BRICS+ now sells IUEE”
Iran
UAE
Egypt
Ethiopia
— the four new BRICS members admitted on 1 Jan 2024.
Sources: Indian Express p.1 & p.13 (May 15, 2026); MEA press briefing; PIB.
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