Iran on Wednesday called “childish” US claims that an Iranian satellite launched by Russia is intended for espionage.
The satellite, called Khayyam, was launched into space on Tuesday by a Soyuz-2.1b rocket from the Russian-controlled Baikonur Cosmodrome in neighboring Kazakhstan.
Reacting to the launch, Washington said Russia’s growing cooperation with Iran should be seen as a “deep threat”.
“We are aware of reports that Russia launched a satellite with significant spy capabilities on behalf of Iran,” a US State Department spokesperson said.
The head of Iran’s Space Agency, Hassan Salarieh, told reporters on Wednesday that the espionage allegation was “fundamentally childish”.
“Sometimes certain comments are made to stir up tension; to say that we want to spy with the Khayyam satellite…is fundamentally childish,” he said.
“The Khayyam satellite is fully designed and built to meet the country’s needs in crisis and urban management, natural resources, mining, agriculture, etc.”
Ahead of the launch, there was speculation that Russia might temporarily borrow the Iranian satellite to bolster its surveillance of military targets in Ukraine.
The Washington Post last week quoted unnamed Western intelligence officials as saying that Russia “plans to use the satellite for several months or more” to support its war effort before allowing Iran to take control.
Iran’s space agency stressed on Sunday that it would control the satellite “from day one” in an apparent reaction to the Post’s report.
Khayyam’s purpose is to “monitor the country’s borders”, improve agricultural productivity and monitor water resources and natural disasters, according to the space agency.
Khayyam is not the first Iranian satellite that Russia has sent into space.
In 2005, the Iranian satellite Sina-1 was deployed from Russia’s Plesetsk cosmodrome.
Iran insists its space program is for civilian and defense purposes only, and does not violate the 2015 nuclear deal, or any other international agreement.
Western governments fear that satellite launch systems incorporate technologies interchangeable with those used in ballistic missiles capable of delivering a nuclear warhead, which Iran has always denied wanting to build.
Iran successfully launched its first military satellite into orbit in April 2020, drawing a sharp rebuke from the United States.
Tech
