Israel launches spy satellite targeting Iran

TEL AVIV: Israel launched its latest spy satellite as Tel Aviv, along with many other world governments, is wary of Iran's nuclear programme and its "belligerence" toward the Jewish state, a newspaper said here Wednesday.

The satellite, dubbed Ofek 9, was launched on board a booster rocket Tuesday night from the Palmachim airbase, 10 km south of Tel Aviv, the Jerusalem Post said.

From its low Earth orbit at an altitude of around 600 km, the 300-kg satellite is to join its precursor Ofek 7.

"This provides Israel with greater operational flexibility since we now have another set of eyes on a target," Chaim Eshed, director of space programming at the Defence Ministry's Research and Development Directorate, was quoted as saying.