The Iranian Space Agency (ISA) and its Russian counterpart Roscosmos late last year signed an agreement to step up cooperation between their space industries. The announcement was made on the sidelines of the 11th Iran International Airshow & Aerospace Exhibition, which was held on the southern Iranian island of Kish on Dec. 13-16.

The Dec. 14 agreement is important since it forms a crucial part of Iran’s recently-approved 10-year space program. It is also notable as it comes amid tensions with western capitals, shoring up the Moscow-Tehran relationship.

Adopted by the country’s Supreme Space Council on Jan. 7, the 10-year space program seeks to over the coming decade turn the Islamic Republic into the leading regional power when it comes to space technology and satellite launches. One key aim is to send an astronaut into space. Speaking at the signing ceremony, ISA chief Hassan Salariyeh emphasized that the agreement with Roscosmos will help Tehran reach its space-related goals more quickly, particularly given the outside assistance with...