Iran says it has launched a communications satellite into space – higher than ever before. Supposedly the purpose is to collect weather data. But the USA fears military targets.
Iran says it has successfully sent another satellite into space. The “Soraja” satellite was placed in an orbit at an altitude of 750 kilometers using a three-stage rocket, the state news agency Irna reported. The launch is part of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s space program.
There was initially no independent confirmation of the supposedly successful launch. If the report is correct, it is the furthest from Earth’s orbit that Iran has ever placed a satellite into.
USA criticizes launches as a violation of UN resolution
The Islamic Republic has already launched several satellites into space to collect data on weather, natural disasters and agriculture, it says. In the past, the country emphasized that it was not pursuing military goals, but purely civilian purposes.
But that is exactly what the USA fears, which has described the satellite launches as a violation of a UN Security Council resolution. The US government has called on the Iranian government to refrain from activities involving ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons. UN sanctions related to Iran’s ballistic missile program expired in October.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Tehran has enough enriched uranium for “multiple” nuclear weapons. Iran denies producing nuclear weapons.
Mighty ones Revolutionary Guard
The Revolutionary Guard, full name “Army of the Guardians of the Islamic Revolution”, forms the Iranian armed forces together with the army. It is considered the most powerful pillar of the Islamic Republic and far more effective than the regular army: it has its own army, air force and navy.