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Russia to Launch Spy Satellite for Iran
(Washington Post) Joby Warrick - A new satellite that Russia is preparing to launch on Iran's behalf will greatly enhance Tehran's ability to spy on military targets across the Middle East. Russia agreed to build and launch the Kanopus-V system, which will include a high-resolution camera that would give Tehran unprecedented capabilities, including near-continuous monitoring of sensitive facilities in Israel and the Persian Gulf. The spacecraft's camera has a resolution of 1.2 meters, far short of the quality achieved by U.S. spy satellites, but a substantial improvement over Iran's current capabilities. Experts say Iran could share the imagery with pro-Iranian militia groups including Hizbullah in Lebanon. Being able to sync its missile arsenal "with satellite capabilities and surveillance will only increase the lethality of the Iranian threat," said Richard Goldberg, a former top Iran analyst at the U.S. National Security Council.