On Sunday, Iran reiterated that its nuclear program is peaceful, despite skepticism among Western governments and experts, as well as increasing international pressure over its recent activities.
“The reality of the peaceful objectives of Iran's nuclear industry … will be made clear to the world,” the head of Iran’s nuclear program, Mohammad Eslami, stated upon his arrival in Vienna for the 68th annual session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) General Conference.
However, the partnership between Iran and Russia has triggered fresh concerns in Washington and London, particularly over Tehran’s supply of ballistic missiles to aid Moscow’s war effort in Ukraine.
In return, Russia is suspected of providing Iran with sensitive nuclear technology and intelligence, an exchange that has Western officials on edge as it risks pushing Iran closer to achieving its goal of developing nuclear weapons.
According to sources cited by Bloomberg, “the Kremlin has increased its cooperation with Iran over its ambitions to obtain atomic weapons in recent months", citing Western officials.
Western intelligence has identified increased cooperation between the two countries in recent months, raising alarms over the possibility that Russia is sharing nuclear expertise that could facilitate Iran’s weaponization of its atomic program.
The revelations were discussed during a meeting between British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and US President Joe Biden at the White House last week.
According to the Bloomberg article, one of “the most troubling” aspects of the partnership is the trade of ballistic missiles. Iran has provided Russia with Fath-360 missiles, short-range ballistic weapons that have been deployed against Ukrainian targets.
Despite reported inaccuracies in these missiles highlighted by a recent Business Insider report on their performance during a prior Iranian attack on Israel, they are still an addition to Russia’s military arsenal.
Iran’s missile shipments come at a time when Moscow is seeking to replenish its stockpiles in a war begun in 2022. The cooperation further deepens the ties between the two nations after Iran has provided drones to Russia to support its war on Ukraine.
The Russia-Iran alliance has forced Western powers to reassess their defense strategies, leading to renewed sanctions and diplomatic efforts aimed at curbing Tehran’s military support for Moscow.
UK newspaper, The Guardian, said the Kremlin has increased its cooperation with Iran over its ambitions to obtain atomic weapons in recent months, citing anonymous Western officials.
The Guardian report noted that the growing Russia-Iran military and nuclear cooperation poses a “direct threat” not only to the West but also to Israel, which views Iran’s nuclear advancements as an existential danger.
It also pointed out that Tehran’s partnership with Moscow has sparked fears in Jerusalem that Iran could soon possess the capability to develop and deploy nuclear weapons. With Iran also backing militant groups like Hezbollah and Hamas on Israel's borders, its nuclear ambitions raise concerns about destabilizing the Middle East more, added the piece.
The Islamic Republic has long maintained that its nuclear activities are for “civilian purposes,” but recent statements by Iranian officials cast doubt on such remarks.
In April, an Iranian general suggested that Tehran might revise its nuclear doctrine if Israel were to attack its atomic facilities, a threat that could signal a shift toward nuclear weapons development.
Meanwhile, reports from the IAEA indicate that Iran has enriched its uranium stockpiles, with enough material to potentially fuel multiple warheads.
This latest demonstration of its advancing missile technology comes as tensions with the West intensify over Tehran’s military support for Russia and its ballistic missile program.
According to Iranian news outlets, the satellite, named Chamran 1, was launched on Saturday aboard the Qaem 100 solid-fuel satellite launcher, operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The satellite was reportedly placed into orbit at an altitude of 550 kilometers, marking the IRGC's second "successful" orbital mission with this launcher.
While Iran insists that the Chamran 1 is purely a "research" satellite, designed to test hardware and software systems and demonstrate in-orbit maneuvering technologies, Western officials and experts remain skeptical.
"Iran’s space program is a cover for the regime’s longer range strike capabilities and a pathway to an Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) that could be used to threaten the US homeland and the European continent," Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior FDD fellow, told Iran International.
The West has long accused Iran of exploiting its space program to test technologies that can be repurposed for military use, specifically long-range ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads. Despite numerous UN resolutions calling for a halt to these activities, Tehran has pressed ahead, raising alarms across the globe.
Reports from the Iranian media say that Chamran 1 “weighs approximately 60 kilograms and is also tasked with secondary missions, such as testing cold-gas propulsion systems and evaluating navigation and attitude control subsystems.”
The satellite’s launch follows Iran's January 2024 launch of the Soraya satellite, also aboard the Qaem 100. That mission was met with condemnation from European nations, including Britain, France, and Germany, which are all part of the now-fractured nuclear agreement with Iran, known as the JCPOA.
In a joint statement issued earlier this year, the European Troika expressed concerns over Iran’s continued missile tests, noting that the Qaem 100 launcher relies on the same technology used in Iran’s long-range ballistic missiles.
Such launches allow Iran to test technologies that could be used to further develop its ballistic missile program, the statement said, warning that such activities pose a threat to regional and international security.
“Iran’s space program may be improving due to Russian assistance in exchange for drones and more recently missiles," says Taleblu, the author of “Arsenal: Assessing the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Ballistic Missile Program."
This latest launch comes at a critical time, as Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities appear to be advancing in tandem. With each satellite launch, Tehran not only bolsters its space ambitions but also refines the technologies necessary for long-range missile systems. These developments, combined with Iran’s growing stockpile of enriched uranium, inch the country closer to crossing the nuclear threshold—a scenario that could destabilize the Middle East and heighten global security risks.
The IRGC’s Aerospace Force has been at the forefront of Iran’s space and missile programs. Taleblu says “Iran’s newer solid-propellant satellite launch vehicles are run entirely by the IRGC Aerospace Force - a terrorist entity with its finger on the trigger of the biggest ballistic missile arsenal in the Middle East.”
In previous statements, its commanders have boasted of placing satellites like Noor 3 into orbits as high as 450 kilometers, further showcasing Iran’s growing proficiency in space and missile technology. Yet, for all its claims of peaceful scientific progress, Iran's pursuit of dual-use technologies continues to stoke fears that its ultimate goal is far more dangerous.