Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian is set to attend the upcoming BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia in October, according to Iranian state media. This announcement comes amidst growing cooperation between Russia and Iran, and heightened tensions between Iran and Western nations following the transfer of ballistic missiles to the Russian military. Iran’s ambassador in Russia, Kazem Jalali, confirmed on September 15 that Pezeshkian will attend the summit and meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The two countries are expected to sign a bilateral cooperation agreement at the summit. In July, Pezeshkian reportedly expressed Iran’s willingness to enter into a “comprehensive strategic partnership” with Russia during the BRICS forum. Iran and Russia have a strong alliance and Russia is a key supplier of weapons to Iran. The two nations have deepened their military and political cooperation since the start of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In response to reports of Iran’s transfer of Fath-360 ballistic missiles to Moscow, the US, UK, France, and Germany announced additional sanctions against Iran, targeting individuals and entities, including national airline Iran Air. However, the Iranian government has denied these allegations and criticized the sanctions. The BRICS summit will take place in Kazan, Russia from October 22-24.
In other news, a man has been taken into custody and the FBI is investigating a shooting as a possible assassination attempt against former US President Donald Trump. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk praised Ukraine’s offer to help in the situation, calling it “moving.” In a separate incident, at least 42 people, including three children, were injured when a Russian air strike hit a high-rise building in Kharkiv city, causing a fire. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky expressed frustration with the lack of military aid from foreign partners, stating that Ukraine has not received enough support to equip even four out of the 14 army brigades it needs to be ready. In an interview with CNN, Zelensky also mentioned plans to improve the quality of military training and a new project set to roll out in October-November.
In other news, Cyprus has revoked the citizenship of Ukrainian oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky after finding that he had withheld important information related to criminal charges he faces. And in response to a news report suggesting that Zelensky’s peace plan will include a partial ceasefire, an advisor for the president denied this claim. This week’s top stories also include the controversy surrounding the “Russians at War” documentary at the Toronto International Film Festival and Russia’s counteroffensive in Kursk Oblast.
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