CIA Views Russian Concerns Over Iran’s Space Program
Russian experts are persuaded that Iran’s space program is serving to advance development of intercontinental ballistic missiles that could be used against targets throughout the Middle East and Russia, according to a CIA review of open source reporting.
“Over the past year Moscow appears to have become more worried about the security implications of assisting Tehran with the further development of its space capability,” the November 2010 CIA report (pdf) said.
The CIA document was first reported by Bloomberg News (“Russian Scientists Worried Iran Uses Their Know-How for Missiles” by Roxana Tiron and Anthony Capaccio, February 3). A copy was obtained by Secrecy News. See “Russia: Security Concerns About Iran’s Space Program Growing,” CIA Open Source Works, November 16, 2010.
On February 7, Iranian officials displayed four new prototype satellites that they said would be launched in the near future.
The FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) paints a picture of a Congress that is working to both protect and accelerate nuclear modernization programs while simultaneously lacking trust in the Pentagon and the Department of Energy to execute them.
For Impact Fellow John Whitmer, working in public service was natural. “I’ve always been around people who make a living by caring.”
While advanced Chinese language proficiency and cultural familiarity remain irreplaceable skills, they are neither necessary nor sufficient for successful open-source analysis on China’s nuclear forces.
To maximize clean energy deployment, we must address the project development and political barriers that have held us back from smart policymaking and implementation that can withstand political change. Here’s how.