TehranIran announced Saturday that it has sent a research satellite into orbit on a rocket built by the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, ignoring criticism from Western countries over the space project that they say is helping Tehran advance its nuclear program. The Chamran-1 satellite reached an orbit of 550 kilometers (340 miles) in space aboard the Qaem-100 satellite carrier, according to the IRNA news agency.
The craft, which has been developed by several Iranian companies and industrial groups, weighs about 60 kilograms, IRNA reported. Its main mission is to test hardware and software systems to verify orbital height and phase maneuvering technology. The launch comes amid rising tension in West Asia over the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The U.S. State Department and military did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the Iranian launch. Washington has previously said Iran’s satellite launches defy a U.N. Security Council resolution and called on Tehran not to conduct any activity involving ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
In January, Iran claimed to have successfully launched three satellites into space using a rocket. The US military says the ballistic technology used to send satellites into space could also be used to launch long-range weapons. However, Iran has always denied seeking nuclear weapons and says its space programme, like its nuclear activities, is for purely civilian purposes.
US concerned about Iranian satellite launch
UN sanctions related to Iran’s ballistic missile program expired last October. Under the relatively moderate former president Hassan Rouhani, the Islamic Republic slowed its space program for fear of raising tensions with the West. Hardline President Ebrahim Raisi, a protégé of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who came to power in 2021, has pushed the program. Raisi died in a helicopter crash in May.
Iran’s Simorgh satellite-carrying rocket program has had five consecutive failed launches. The failures of the Simorgh, or “Phoenix,” rocket have been part of a series of setbacks for Iran’s civilian space program in recent years, including deadly fires and a rocket explosion on the launch pad that drew the attention of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
U.S. intelligence agencies and the IAEA say Iran had an organized military nuclear program as late as 2003. It is unclear what Iran’s new president, the reformist Masoud Pezeshkian, wants for that program, as he has not commented on it during the campaign. The U.S. intelligence community’s global threat assessment this year said Iran’s development of satellite launch vehicles would “shorten the timeline” for Iran to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile because it uses similar technology.
Intercontinental ballistic missiles can be used to deliver nuclear weapons. Iran is currently producing uranium close to weapons-grade levels following the collapse of its nuclear deal with world powers. Tehran has enough enriched uranium for “several” nuclear weapons, if it decides to produce them, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly warned.
(with AP inputs)
READ ALSO | US diplomatic facility in Baghdad attacked to ‘disrupt Iranian President Pezeshkian’s first visit to Iraq’
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.