Russian rocket successfully puts Iranian satellite into orbit

MOSCOW (AP) — A Russian rocket has successfully put an Iranian satellite into orbit, a launch that underlines increasingly close cooperation between Moscow and Tehran. Russia’s state-run Roscosmos corporation said that a Soyuz rocket blasted off Thursday from the Vostochny launch facility in the country’s far east to carry the Iranian satellite and 18 Russian satellites into orbit. The Iranian state TV said the 110-kilogram satellite has three cameras to take images for environment, agricultural and other purposes. Thursday’s launch comes after Russia put into orbit the Iranian Khayyam satellite in 2022.