The Defense Intelligence Agency describes offensive moves by Washington and Tehran against each other’s space capabilities during Operation Epic Fury and says Iran can challenge U.S. military operations in the Middle East.
The DIA’s 2026 edition of Challenges to Security in Space, released Oct. 26, says its information is current as of July 2026. The assessment places Iran and North Korea among emerging space powers and also examines the space programs of China and Russia.
Separately, the report describes Iranian ground-based equipment that can interfere with GPS signals. It does not identify GPS disruption as the method Iran used during Operation Epic Fury.
The DIA identifies economic development, military modernization and national prestige as aims of Iran’s civilian and military space programs. It also says Iran is working to improve how its guidance and navigation systems withstand electronic attacks.
The American Enterprise Institute’s Space Data Navigator lists about a dozen operational satellites for Iran. Its count for the United States is more than 1,000 times as high.
