Zohreh is a name that has been applied to a number of Iranian proposals for a state-owned communications satellite. The Zohreh name dates back to the at least 1993 while similar proposals began in the 1970s. The planned satellite would have similar capabilities to a commercially-produced Western satellite, while such capabilities are already provided through leases owned by the Iranian telecommunications sector. Therefore, such an investment would socialize telecommunications for the benefit of defense. Most recently, an agreement was signed between Iran and Russia in 2005 to develop the satellite with a planned launch date of 2007, but the launch has been postponed until at least 2009, set to follow actual construction of the satellite.
Zohreh is Persian for Venus.
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