Screen capture of the Iranian military satellite launch
from the country’s news agency.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said Wednesday that the country put the Islamic Republic’s first military satellite into orbit, dramatically unveiling what experts described as a secret space program with a surprise launch that came amid wider tensions with the United States.
According to the Haaretz infosite, there was no immediate independent confirmation of the launch of the satellite, which the Guard called “Noor,” or Light. The U.S. State Department and the Pentagon, which contend that such launches advance Iran’s ballistic missile program, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
However, such a launch immediately raised concerns among experts on whether the technology used could help Iran develop intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Already, Iran has abandoned all the limitation of its tattered nuclear deal with world powers that President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew America from in 2018. Trump’s decision set off a month’s long series of escalating attacks that culminated in a U.S. drone strike in January that killed a top Iranian general in Iraq, followed by Tehran launching ballistic missiles at American soldiers in Iraq.
To read the entire launch story, please visit this direct Haaretz infolink…