Kazem Jalali said on Sunday that the three Iranian satellites are set to be launched with Russian cooperation at 16:48 Tehran time on December 28.

He noted that the launch demonstrates the extent of Iran’s progress in the field of satellite manufacturing, adding that the satellites were designed and built by Iranian scientists.

Jalali noted that a second important point is that both the private and public sectors are now involved in this field, explaining that two of the satellites belong to the government sector while one has been developed for the private sector.

The launch also reflects the high level of activity by Iran’s knowledge-based companies in the space sector, the envoy added, stressing that despite all existing sanctions and threats, Iran today has much to say in this field.

Referring to Iran-Russia cooperation in satellite-related fields, the ambassador said bilateral cooperation in the space sector is very broad, noting that Russia is a leading country in space affairs, including satellite technology, launch vehicles, and satellite launches.

Jalali said Iran and Russia have been able to transfer part of the technology and work together, with cooperation also covering satellite launches.

The latest mission marks the seventh Iranian satellite to be launched by Russia, he noted, adding that the Soyuz launcher is a reliable launch vehicle. The envoy recalled that before Russia’s relations with the West deteriorated, many Western satellites were also launched using Soyuz rockets.

Iran-Russia cooperation is proceeding well across various fields, he said, adding that while some aspects of this cooperation are public, there are other parts that the two sides prefer not to disclose.