On Monday, an Iranian official said Iran has applied to join the emerging economies known as BRICS. Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman said Iran’s participation in the BRICS group, which includes Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, “would result in added value for both sides.”

Russia’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said separately that Argentina has also applied to join the organisation.

Argentine President Alberto Fernandez, currently in Europe, recently reiterated his desire for Argentina to join the BRICS.

“As the White House considers what else in the world could be shut down, banned or disrupted, Argentina and Iran have applied to join the BRICS,” Zakharova wrote on the Telegram messaging app.