Russia launches an Iranian communications satellite into orbit

MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian rocket sent an Iranian communications satellite into orbit Friday, a launch that highlighted strong ties between the two countries.

The Soyuz rocket lifted off as scheduled from Vostochny launchpad in far eastern Russia, the country’s state-controlled Roscosmos corporation said. It carried two Russian Ionosphere-M Earth observation satellites, along with Iran’s Nahid-2 satellite and 17 smaller Russian satellites, and put them into designated orbits.

The 110-kilogram (242-pound) Iranian satellite is supposed to circle the Earth on a 500-kilometer (310-mile) orbit and has a service lifetime of two years.

In November, Russia launched a pair of Iranian satellites named Kowsar and Hodhod, the first launched on behalf of the country’s private sector. It followed two previous Russian launches of Iranian satellites in 2022 and 2024.

Russia, which signed a “strategic partnership” treaty with Iran in January, strongly condemned the Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran last month. Russian President Vladimir Putin has suggested that Moscow could help negotiate a settlement that could allow Tehran to pursue a peaceful atomic program while assuaging Israeli security concerns.

At the same time, Putin has emphasized that Tehran hasn’t asked Moscow for military assistance and noted that the partnership treaty doesn’t envision such aid.

Russia has maintained a delicate balancing act in the Middle East for decades, trying to maintain warm relations with Israel even as it developed strong economic and military ties with Iran.