Iranian president to attend BRICS summit in Russia
Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian will attend the upcoming BRICS summit hosted in Kazan, Russia in October, Iranian state media reported on Sept. 15, citing Iran's ambassador in Russia Kazem Jalali.
The announcement comes amid increased cooperation between Russia and Iran, and heightened tensions between Iran and Western nations following Tehran's transfer of ballistic missiles to the Russian military.
Jalali confirmed on Sept. 15 that Pezeshkian will attend the BRICS summit and meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Tehran and Moscow are expected to sign a bilateral cooperation agreement at the summit.
Pezeshkian reportedly told Putin in July that Iran was prepared to enter "a comprehensive strategic partnership" with Russia during the BRICS forum.
Iran remains one of Russia's closest allies and a key weapons provider. The two nations have deepened their military and political cooperation since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The U.S., U.K., France, and Germany announced additional sanctions against Iran after Washington confirmed reports that Tehran had shipped Fath-360 ballistic missiles to Moscow. The new sanctions targeted a number of individuals and entities, including national airline Iran Air.
The Iranian government has denied sending the weapons and criticized the sanctions.
The BRICS summit will be held in Kazan, Russia from Oct. 22-24.
Chris York
