Russian authorities on Tuesday oversaw the launch of an Iranian satellite into orbit.
The launch comes just weeks after Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian leader Ali Khamenei pledged to cooperate against the West.
The new Iranian satellite has surveillance capabilities that present a serious problem for Israel due to its ability to monitor sensitive sites in the country, snapping high-resolution images of objects on the ground, experts have warned.
The Khayyam satellite, built and launched by Russia on behalf of Iran, lofted into orbit on Tuesday from the Russia-controlled Baikonur cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Hours later Iranian media reported that the first telemetry had been received from the spacecraft.
Iranian Information and Communications Technology Minister Isa Zarepour, who attended the launch, stated the development marked the “beginning of strategic cooperation between Iran and Russia in the space industry,” reported Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency.
“The high-resolution images (taken by “Khayyam”) could be used to improve the space applications in the country in the environmental and agricultural sectors,” Zarepour was quoted as saying.
But Western experts have no doubts that the satellite is intended for spying.
The Washington Post reported last week that U.S. officials are concerned the satellite will allow Iran to monitor sensitive sites and potential targets in Israel and the broader Middle East, in addition to helping Moscow wage war against Ukraine.
Source: JNS / Times of Israel
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