Russia to Launch Iranian Satellites Into Space

Latest Developments

• Russia to Launch Imaging and Communication Satellites for Iran: Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali announced that Russia will launch two Iranian satellites into space on November 5. The satellites will be carried by Russia’s Soyuz rocket into a 500-km (311-mile) orbit of the Earth.

• Iran Claims Satellites Developed by Private Companies: Jalali identified the two satellites as the Kowsar, a high-resolution imaging satellite, and the Hodhod, a small communications satellite. According to Iranian media, the satellites were developed by Iran’s private space industry, designed and built by “a team of young Iranian engineers with an average age of 25, working within an Iranian private tech company.”

• Russia and Iran Grow Alliance Following Ukraine Invasion: Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Iran and Russia — which are both under severe international sanctions — have strengthened their economic and military ties, with Iran providing Russia with Iranian-made drones and missiles. Russia launched Iran’s first satellite in 2005, before providing Tehran with the Kanopus-V satellite in 2021 and the launching of Iran’s Khayyam spy satellite in 2022 and the Pars-1 in 2024.

FDD Expert Response

“Iran continues to benefit from its deepening military and political relationship with Russia. Though Putin has helped Iran place satellites into low-earth orbit in the recent past, the pace of this cooperation has sped up as Russian and Iranian security policy has become more intertwined. Iran’s interest in space is two-fold: first, to help it develop a local positioning system to enable better targeting for its projectiles, and second, to be able to use space-launch vehicle technology as a cover to pursue longer-range strike capabilities like a potential intercontinental ballistic missile.” — Behnam Ben Taleblu, Senior Fellow

“These aren’t the first satellites Russia has helped Iran put into orbit, and they likely won’t be the last. These satellite launches are part of a worrying trend of increased Russian-Iranian cooperation that exacerbates the threat each of these actors poses to U.S. interests. For Moscow, launching Iranian satellites also provides a little extra revenue at a time when Russia is dealing with a decline in its share of global satellite launches.” — John Hardie, Russia Program Deputy Director

FDD Background and Analysis

“Iran Seeks Purchase of Advanced Spy Satellites from China,” FDD Flash Brief

“Iran Launches Satellite Into Orbit Using Domestic Missile,” FDD Flash Brief

“Russia and Iran Agree to Deepen Security Ties,” FDD Flash Brief