Iran Now Says Satellite Can Spy on Israel

Deputy Telecom Minister Ahmad Talebzadeh answers a question from media during a news conference in Tehran on Wednesday Nov. 16, 2005. One month after its launch, and only weeks after the Iranian president said Israel should be wiped off the map, the head of Iran's space program now says the Sina-1 satellite could be used to spy on the Jewish state. The launch of the Sina-1 satellite into orbit aboard a Russian rocket last month marked the beginning of Iran's space program and officials say a second satellite will be launched in about two months, heightening Israeli concerns.(AP Photo/Hasan Sarbakhshian) (Hasan Sarbakhshian - AP)

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran said the satellite would be purely scientific. But a month after its launch _ and only weeks after the president said Israel should be wiped off the map _ the head of Tehran's space program now says the Sina-1 is capable of spying on the Jewish state.

The launch of the Russian-made satellite into orbit aboard a Russian rocket last month marked the beginning of Iran's space program. Officials say a second satellite _ this one Iranian-built _ will be launched in about two months, heightening Israeli concerns.

The Sina-1's stated purpose is to take pictures of Iran and to monitor natural disasters in the earthquake-prone nation. Sina-1, with a three-year lifetime, has a resolution precision of about 50 yards.

But as it orbits the Earth some 14 times a day from an altitude around 600 miles, with controllers able to point its cameras as they wish, Sina-1 gives Iran a limited space reconnaissance capability over the entire Middle East, including Israel.

"Sina-1 is a research satellite. It's not possible to use it for military purposes," said Deputy Telecom Minister Ahmad Talebzadeh, who heads the space program.

But he agreed it could spy on Israel.

"Technically speaking, yes. It can monitor Israel," he told The Associated Press. "But we don't need to do it. You can buy satellite photos of Israeli streets from the market."

The Russian company Polyot built the 375-pound satellite for Iran, but Iran had already developed the necessary infrastructure for its space program. The program represents Tehran's drive to prove it can produce advanced technology on its own.

Similarly, Iran has said its nuclear program is peaceful, aimed at producing electricity and showcasing the country's technical prowess _ though the United States believes the program secretly aims to produce nuclear weapons.

The satellites could be a response to Israel's Ofek-5 spy satellite. Israel, a world leader in satellite technology, relies heavily on space-based cameras to monitor activities in Arab countries and Iran. The Ofek-5, launched in 2002, overflies Iran, Iraq and Syria.

Israel hoped a more sophisticated Ofek-6 satellite would enhance its coverage of Iran, but in 2004 the satellite plummeted into the Mediterranean Sea shortly after launch, dealing a blow to Israeli efforts to keep an eye on Iran's controversial nuclear program.

"We know that they spy on us. What they are trying to do is look for places where a mega-terror attack can take place," said Efraim Sneh, a former Israeli deputy defense minister and current chairman of the Israeli parliament's defense subcommittee.