"Two Iranian satellites fired with Russian rockets"

Two Iranian satellites will be launched on a Russian Soyuz rocket on the 5th local time, Russian Ambassador to Russia Kazem Jalali said on social media.

"Iran's satellites 'Kosar' and 'Hodhod' will be launched into 500km of Earth's orbit through the Soyuz projectile at 2:48 a.m. Iranian time," Jalali said, according to Sputnik news agency.

Citing Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency, Reuters explained that the Khosar and Khodhod satellites developed by Iran in the civilian space sector are high-resolution imaging satellites and small communications satellites, respectively.

Russia and Iran, under U.S. sanctions, have been stepping up cooperation, including in science, since Russia's 2022 special military operation in Ukraine.

Russia launched Fars 1, an Iranian research and exploration satellite, into space using a Soyuz rocket from the Vostocini Space Station in February.