The ministry statement carried by the official IRNA news agency gave no value for the deal to launch the Mesbah (Lighthouse) satellite, which is intended to replace the abandoned Zohreh (Venus) project with Russia.

The Zohreh satellite had been intended to provide seven television and five communications channels at a cost of 125 million dollars.

Unlike the United States which dubs Iran part of an "axis of evil" with Iraq and North Korea, the European Union has adopted a policy of constructive engagement with the Islamic regime and held a second round of trade talks here earlier this month.

SPACE.WIRE