Russia launches Iranian satellites into orbit ahead of partnership summit between Moscow, Tehran

A Russian rocket launched a brace of Iranian satellites connected Tuesday, reflecting increasing practice betwixt Moscow and Tehran up of a looming business summit.

The Soyuz rocket took disconnected from nan Vostochny launchpad successful acold eastbound Russia, deploying Russian satellites into orbit and respective twelve smaller satellites, including 2 from Iran.

The Kowsar and Hodhod satellites, launched connected behalf of a backstage assemblage client, are nan latest Iranian assets deployed to abstraction by Russia connected Tehran’s orders, pinch nan 2 nations readying to bolster their “strategic partnership.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is scheduled to sojourn Moscow successful nan adjacent early to meet pinch his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, and motion a caller business agreement.

Tehran has depended connected Russia’s abstraction programme pursuing a bid of setbacks to its ain rocket improvement project, including 5 consecutive grounded launches of its Simorgh satellite-carrying rocket program.

A launchpad rocket detonation successful 2020 notably drew nan attraction of then-President Donald Trump, who mocked nan grounded effort connected X pinch a surveillance image of nan singed Imam Khomeini Spaceport.

Despite nan failures, Tehran continues to activity connected its abstraction program, which would beryllium a clear threat should it get Moscow’s help, according to US intelligence officials.

The US intelligence community’s 2024 worldwide threat appraisal said Iran’s improvement of outer motorboat vehicles “would shorten nan timeline” for Tehran to create an intercontinental ballistic missile.

Coupled pinch Iran’s atomic program, which is adjacent to producing weapons-grade uranium, Tehran could beryllium poised to person long-range atomic weapons, nan International Atomic Energy Agency warned.

Officials fearfulness nan process could velocity up arsenic Tehran improves its narration pinch Moscow, which has already been accused of utilizing hundreds of Iranian termination drones connected nan battlefield successful Ukraine.

While Russian and Iranian officials person denied nan usage of Tehran’s drones successful Ukraine, reports person verified their usage connected nan frontlines arsenic Moscow continues to bombard Kyiv’s infrastructure.

The Russian-Iranian business statement would travel conscionable months aft Putin signed a caller pact pinch North Korea to afloat found each different arsenic friends and vowing to assistance 1 different successful times of war.

The North Korean business sparked fears that Russia could besides beryllium providing atomic secrets to Kim Jong Un, who has agelong sought to create atomic weapons.

With Post wires