DUBAI, October 21. /TASS/. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi intend to discuss the "Israeli threat" with their foreign colleagues at the BRICS Summit in Kazan, official Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said.

"As for the trip to Kazan for the BRICS Summit, we are determined to use our participation in the summit to hold diplomatic talks and make efforts to draw the attention of the international community to the threats related to the continuing crimes of the Zionist regime [meaning Israel - TASS]," he said at a briefing broadcast by the IRIB TV channel.

The situation in the Middle East sharply escalated after the infiltration of Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip into Israeli territory on October 7 last year, killing residents of Israeli border settlements and taking hostages. Israel responded by launching a military operation in the enclave in order to destroy the military and political structure of Hamas and liberate the hostages. In one year of the Israeli operation in the enclave, 42,600 Palestinians have been killed and 99,800 were wounded. Women and children accounted for 70% of the victims. In September 2024, Israel launched an operation against formations of the Shia organization Hezbollah in the south of Lebanon. Within a month of the Israeli operation 2,400 Lebanese people have been killed and 10,900 were wounded.

BRICS was founded in 2006 by Brazil, Russia, India and China, with South Africa joining it in 2011. On January 1, 2024, Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia became the group’s full members. The BRICS Summit in Kazan on October 22-24 will be the association’s main event during Russia’s chairmanship.