Iran launches 3 satellites on Russian rocket amid deepening cooperation

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Whereas america presses for negotiations geared toward ending the conflict in Ukraine, Russia is signaling a parallel technique — deepening cooperation with U.S. adversaries and portraying itself as immune to Western stress.

That posture was on show this week when Iran introduced that three of its domestically designed satellites were launched into orbit aboard a Russian rocket.

The launch was broadcast by Iran’s Arabic-language state tv channel Al-Alam Information Community, which aired footage exhibiting the satellites lifting off from Russian territory. The Related Press and Reuters reported that the satellites had been carried into orbit aboard a Russian rocket launched from jap Russia, marking the seventh time Iran has carried out a satellite tv for pc launch with Russian help.

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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian shake arms as they meet in Moscow, Russia Jan. 17, 2025. (Evgenia Novozhenina/Pool by way of Reuters)

Iranian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali stated the satellites had been "designed and produced by Iranian scientists," including that cooperation between Tehran and Moscow continues "regardless of all of the sanctions and threats," based on Iranian state media cited by Reuters.

Iranian officers declare the satellites are meant for civilian functions, together with environmental monitoring and agriculture, although Western governments have lengthy warned that Iran’s area program may advance applied sciences relevant to ballistic missile growth.

The launch underscored a broader strategic relationship between Moscow that has expanded considerably since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Iran has provided Russia with drones and different army tools used on the battlefield, whereas Russia has offered diplomatic cowl, financial cooperation and superior technical assist amid sweeping Western sanctions on each nations.

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A Russian warship and an Iranian military velocity boat attend a joint naval train on Tuesday. (AP/Iranian Military)

The rising Russia-Iran alignment comes as tensions between Tehran and Washington proceed to rise. After President Donald Trump lately warned that america may strike Iran once more if it tried to rebuild its nuclear program, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued a pointy response.

In keeping with the Related Press, Pezeshkian stated any U.S. assault could be met with a "harsh and discouraging" response. Iranian officers framed the warning as defensive, arguing it was meant to discourage potential U.S. aggression somewhat than sign an intention to provoke battle. Tehran has repeatedly stated its nuclear program is peaceable, a declare america and its allies dispute.

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<img src="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/12/1200/675/gettyimages-1228664520-scaled.jpg?ve=1&tl=1" alt="Russian army Mi-24 helicopters fly above a warship at the Turali range on the Caspian Sea coast in the Republic of Dagestan in Southern Russia on Sept. 23, 2020 during the "Caucasus-2020" military drills gathering China, Iran, Pakistan and Myanmar troops, along with ex-Soviet Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus." width="1200" height="675"/> Russian military Mi-24 helicopters fly above a warship on the Turali vary on the Caspian Beach within the Republic of Dagestan in Southern Russia on Sept. 23, 2020 in the course of the "Caucasus-2020" army drills gathering China, Iran, Pakistan and Myanmar troops, together with ex-Soviet Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus. (Dimitar Dilkoff / AFP by way of Getty Pictures)

The change highlights how Iran and Russia are more and more positioning themselves as companions pushing again towards U.S. stress, at the same time as Washington makes an attempt to pursue diplomacy on a number of fronts. Russia has portrayed its partnerships with Iran and different sanctioned states as proof that Western efforts to isolate Moscow have failed, whereas Iran has used its cooperation with Russia to showcase technological resilience beneath sanctions.

Efrat Lachter is an investigative reporter and conflict correspondent. Her work has taken her to 40 nations, together with Ukraine, Russia, Iraq, Syria, Sudan and Afghanistan. She is a recipient of the 2024 Knight-Wallace Fellowship for Journalism. Lachter could be adopted on X @efratlachter.