IRGC 'seeking to acquire spy satellites' through two Chinese companies

The Washington Post, a newspaper based in the U.S. capital, reported on the IRGC's efforts to reach an agreement with two technology companies in China that specialize in building small satellites equipped with powerful cameras. In a report published on Friday, August 26, citing unnamed Western and Middle Eastern security officials due to the sensitivity of the subject, the newspaper stated that intelligence assessments indicate the potential use of these spy satellites for military purposes. According to these officials, the Islamic Republic is seeking to expand its capabilities for remote reconnaissance and surveillance, including high-resolution images of military targets in Israel and across the Middle East. There are also concerns that the Islamic Republic may provide the information obtained from these satellites to its proxy forces in the region, including the Houthis in Yemen. In recent years, the Islamic Republic has repeatedly claimed to have successfully launched satellites, which has faced strong reactions from Western powers. Three European powers condemned Iran's launch of the 'Suraya' satellite. The Washington Post's report comes amid rising tensions between the Islamic Republic and Israel, with Tehran officials continuing to threaten retaliation for the killing of Ismail Haniyeh, the former political leader of Hamas, in Tehran. Israel has neither confirmed nor denied responsibility for Haniyeh's killing but has emphasized that it will respond firmly to any attack from Tehran. According to the Washington Post, in recent months, delegations from the IRGC and two Chinese satellite technology companies, Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co and MinoSpace, have met. Chang Guang, based in Changchun in northeastern China, manufactures small, low-cost cubesats equipped with optical equipment that can match the image clarity of the most advanced satellites from the U.S. and the European Union. The image clarity of this company's satellites is three times higher than that of Iran's Khayyam satellite, which was launched two years ago by a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur space station in Kazakhstan. At that time, the U.S. State Department warned of the 'remarkable espionage capabilities' of this satellite. The Washington Post also reported that Western security officials indicated that Russia intends to use Iran's Khayyam satellite for its military purposes in Ukraine. However, the Iranian Space Agency claimed that all activities and objectives of this satellite are 'purely peaceful and non-military,' and its images are used in various fields such as agriculture, natural resources, environment, water resources, mining, border monitoring, and disaster management. Now, the IRGC's efforts to acquire satellites from Chang Guang come after reports last year revealed that this company provided satellite services and images to the Russian Wagner Group, which caused controversy. According to these reports, the company signed a $30 million contract with Wagner officials in November two years ago, nine months after the onset of Russia's full-scale military invasion of Ukraine. Historically, China has been one of the most important military partners of the Islamic Republic, significantly reducing its arms sales to Tehran in 2005 due to increased sanctions against it. However, relations between Tehran and Beijing have improved in recent years alongside increased Western sanctions against the Islamic Republic, and military agreements between the two countries have enhanced the accuracy of missiles and drones produced by the Islamic Republic. The strengthening of military relations between the two countries comes as China is currently the largest buyer of Iranian oil, with Iran's oil exports to China reaching $32 billion last year. Tehran and Moscow's relations in the field of satellite cooperation have also increased in recent years, with one of the latest instances being the launch of the Pars 1 satellite by a Russian Soyuz launcher from the Vostochny launch site in Russia last March.