Israeli Air Force destroys Iranian space research center developing anti-satellite technology

The Israeli Air Force on Monday announced it had destroyed a space center in the capital of Tehran used to develop attack capabilities against satellites, including Israeli defense satellites. 

The IDF said the center contained strategic laboratories used for research and the development of military satellites, intelligence collection, and the direction of fire toward targets across the Middle East.

The center was also used to develop military space programs, including the ‘Chamran-1' satellite, which was built by the Iranian Ministry of Defense's Electronics Industries and launched into space in September 2024 by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). 

Both the U.S. and Israel said that Iran’s work on the solid-fuel Ghaem-100 rocket, which was used to launch the Chamran-1 satellite, was an example of dual-use technology, which could also be used for developing an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), posing a real threat to Israel and the West in general. 

The military said the center “posed a threat to the satellites of the State of Israel and the space assets of other countries in the world.” 

The destruction of the space center is in addition to a strike carried out last Friday against another space research center belonging to the Iranian Space Agency in Tehran. 

🪐 🎯STRUCK: The primary research center of the Iranian Space Agency & an aerial defense system production factory.

The center contained strategic laboratories used for research, including developing military satellites, intelligence collection, & directing fire toward targets… pic.twitter.com/Btmgq0rksK

— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 14, 2026

For years, the Iranian regime has invested many resources into the development of space warfare capabilities, the IDF said. This came as part of its efforts to expand its military capabilities in order to broaden its threat reach, undermining regional and international stability. 

“The IDF will continue to act to protect its capabilities in all dimensions: on land, in the air, at sea, and in space,” the military said. 

The statement by the IDF marked a rare communication from Unit 9900, which operates within the IDF’s Intelligence Directorate and is responsible for collecting visual and geospatial intelligence using satellites and drones, among other sensors.

Unit 9900 played a critical role in the 2025 Operation Rising Lion, identifying surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missile threats, helping secure safe flight paths for IAF pilots targeting the regime’s air defense and ballistic missile batteries. 

In Operation Roaring Lion, it has continued this role, helping identify critical targets for the military to strike, as Israel and the U.S. continue their strikes to remove Iran’s ability to threaten its Middle Eastern neighbors. 

Unit 9900 is also involved in the creation of target maps, including target maps of buildings, helping both pilots and ground forces know the precise location of a target, while minimizing civilian casualties.