Iran launches three new satellites with Russian support

Iran has successfully sent three more satellites into space aboard Russia’s Soyuz launchers, Iranian state media reported on Sunday, highlighting growing space cooperation between the two US-sanctioned countries.

According to Iranian officials, the satellites are intended to support monitoring of agriculture, natural resources and environmental conditions. Iran has increasingly relied on Russia in recent years to place its satellites into orbit.

“These satellites were designed and produced by Iranian scientists despite all the sanctions and threats,” Iran’s ambassador to Russia, Kazem Jalali, told state television, referring to Western restrictions linked to Tehran’s nuclear programme. He added that Iran and Russia were working together in several fields, some of which they preferred not to publicly detail.

Read More: Bangladesh student-led party forms alliance with Jamaat-e-Islami ahead of polls

Iran’s official IRNA news agency said the satellites — named Paya, Zafar-2 and a second Kowsar — were launched into low-Earth orbit.

Relations between Tehran and Moscow have strengthened since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Western governments accusing Iran of supplying missiles and drones used in Russian military operations, an allegation both countries have repeatedly denied.