Iran has launched a satellite into space via rocket, state media report. It would be a rocket with three satellites for research purposes.
Iran’s space program has been running for years, but is struggling with setbacks. Several missile tests have failed in recent years. In some cases, people were killed by explosions.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard, the powerful elite corps within the armed forces, also has its own program running. Last year, the Garde successfully launched a satellite in orbit around the earth.
470 kilometers altitude
According to the Iranian news agency Tasnim, the latest launch is also a success. Satellite Simorgh has reached an altitude of 470 kilometers and a top speed of 7350 meters per second, says a defense spokesperson for the space program. These messages have not yet been officially confirmed.
The timing of the launch is striking. In Vienna, stalled negotiations on a new nuclear deal have resumed for the seventh time this week. China, Russia, France and the United Kingdom, among others, have been discussing with Tehran for months about limiting Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
Provocation
Analysts see the news of the launch as a clear signal for the negotiating table. Iranian hardliners have so far been unwilling to make concessions on uranium enrichment. Previous satellite launches have been viewed by the US and Israel as a provocation. They fear that Iran has military ambitions in space.
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