WANA (Oct 15) – Iranian Minister of Information and Communications Technology Sattar Hashemi on Wednesday dismissed reports alleging that Iran’s “Hodhod” satellite had been hacked prior to the recent 12-day conflict, calling such claims “baseless.”

 

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a cabinet meeting, Hashemi stated, “There has been no interference outside the normal technical procedures in the operation of the Hodhod satellite. The claims about hacking before the 12-day war are unfounded.”

 

Hashemi also announced a major milestone in Iran’s space program, confirming the successful launch and testing of the Nahid-2 communications satellite — the country’s first Ku-band satellite.

 

He said the satellite’s subsystems were successfully tested three months after launch, and for the first time, Q-band communications were fully verified. A two-way link between ground stations inside Iran was established through Nahid-2, including the successful reception of a signal sent from a southern station.

 

Reiterating that Iran’s space activities follow strict technical and research protocols, Hashemi explained: “Satellite launches have both research and operational phases. After evaluations in the operational stage, satellites are upgraded accordingly.”

Kowsar and Hodhod satellite preparation, Social media/ WANA News Agency

Kowsar and Hodhod satellite preparation, Social media/ WANA News Agency