MOSCOW — On Tuesday, a Russian rocket successfully lifted off, transporting two Iranian satellites into orbit, a demonstration of the increasingly strong ties between Russia and Iran.

The Soyuz rocket took off as planned from the Vostochny launch site located in eastern Russia and delivered its payload into orbit nine minutes later. Among its cargo were two Russian Ionosphere-M Earth observation satellites, along with several smaller satellites, which included the two from Iran.

The Iranian satellites, called Kowsar and Hodhod, mark the first instance in which Iran’s private sector has initiated satellite launches. Previously, in 2022, Iran sent an Earth observation satellite into space via a Russian rocket, which was constructed in Russia as part of a project ordered by Tehran.

This launch aligns with the expanding collaboration between Russia and Iran across different sectors. Ukraine and Western nations have accused Tehran of supplying Russia with a significant number of drones to be used in the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, asserting that these drones have been produced in Russia with Iranian assistance. Although both Moscow and Tehran have denied these claims, these drone deliveries have facilitated consistent long-range drone assaults on Ukraine’s infrastructure.

To further deepen their partnership, Moscow and Tehran are working towards establishing a “comprehensive strategic partnership,” which is expected to be finalized during the upcoming visit of Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Russia. While the exact date of this meeting remains undetermined, the Kremlin has indicated that it could be scheduled shortly.

The successful launch of the Iranian satellites in a Russian vehicle comes in the wake of multiple setbacks faced by Iran’s civilian space program, notably five consecutive failures associated with the Simorgh satellite launch vehicle.