Iran Tests Satellite-Carrying Rocket - State TV
Iran's Revolutionary Guards tested a new satellite-carrying rocket on Saturday, state media reported, a development likely to anger the United States.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards tested a new satellite-carrying rocket on Saturday, state media reported, a development likely to anger the United States.
Washington fears the same long-range ballistic technology used to put satellites into orbit could also be used to launch nuclear warheads. Tehran has regularly denied having any such intention.
"The flight test of this satellite carrier with a solid-fueled engine ... was successfully completed," state news agency IRNA reported.
The Ghaem 100, Iran's first three-stage launch vehicle, will be able to place satellites weighing 80 kg (176 lb) in an orbit of 500 km (310 miles) from the earth's surface, IRNA said.
Amirali Hajizadeh, head of the Revolutionary Guards' aerospace division which developed the Ghaem 100, said the rocket would be used to launch Iran's Nahid satellite for the telecommunications ministry, state media reported.
Saturday's operation tested the first sub-orbital stage of the rocket, the reports added.
Iran, which has one of the biggest missile programs in the Middle East, has had several failed satellite launches in the past few years, blamed on technical issues.
A UN resolution in 2015 called on Iran to refrain for up to eight years from work on ballistic missiles designed to deliver nuclear weapons following an agreement with six world powers.
Iran says it has never pursued the development of nuclear weapons and, therefore, the resolution does not apply to its ballistic missiles, which Tehran had described as an important deterrent and retaliatory force.
Reuters Report
Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said Saturday Tehran provided Moscow with a limited number of drones months before the war in Ukraine, but if it is proven that Russia has used them in the war against Ukraine, the Islamic Republic will not be indifferent to it.
Previously, he had said, "Iran has not provided any weapons to Russia for the war in Ukraine," implying that some arms were transferred, without referring to drones.
Amir-Abdollahian’s statement admitting supplying drones to Moscow came as Europe joined the United States on condemning Iran’s support for the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The G7 foreign ministers meeting in Germany this week issued a statement demanding that Iran and Russia to be held accountable for “balatant violations” of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorsed the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. The US, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom – G7 members along with Canada, Italy and Japan – have argued that any Iranian supply of military drones to Russia is a breach of the agreement, the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action).
Iran’s supply of military hardware and reportedly technicians to help in their deployment to battle fields has further put in doubt further negotiations to restore the JCPOA. After 18 months of multilateral talks, the diplomatic effort reached an impasse in August, with the US saying that Iran was presenting demands outside the scope of the 2015 deal.
Washington has pledged more sanctions related to Tehran supplying weapons to Russia as fierce popular protests have rocked Iran since mid-September, further plunging its weakened economy into crisis.
On the sidelines of a meeting in Tehran, Iran’s top diplomat also rejected supplying missiles to Russia saying, “we agreed with the foreign minister of Ukraine that if they have any documents on Russia’s use of Iranian drones in Ukraine, they should provide them to us.”
He further added that Iran’s position regarding the war in Ukraine “is to stop the war, return the parties to negotiations and return the refugees to their homeland.”
Ukraine has reported a spate of Russian attacks using Iranian-made Shahed-136 drones in recent weeks. Iran was so far denying supplying the drones to Russia, and this week, Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani rejected the accusations saying they are “totally baseless”.
Amir-Abdollahian’s comments come after the United States and its allies urged the UN to probe if Moscow has used Iran-made drones to attack Ukrainian infrastructure and civilian targets.
Ukraine’s Intelligence Directorate said Tuesday that the Islamic Republic is going to deploy over 200 combat drones to Russia in early November including Shahed-136, Arash-2 kamikaze drones, and Mohajer-6 reconnaissance and combat UAVs.
CNN also reported on Tuesday that Western officials believe Tehran was preparing to send nearly 1,000 additional weapons, including ballistic missiles and
Stressing the importance of universal human rights, the bloc called on Iran to honor international law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the General Assembly resolution adopted in 1966 and in force since 1976.
The wide-ranging G7 statement expressed support for efforts at the United Nations to hold both Iran and Russia accountable for “blatant violations” of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which endorsed the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. The US, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom – G7 members along with Canada, Italy and Japan – have argued that any Iranian supply of military drones to Russia would breach the agreement, the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action).
As the G7 statement held Iran responsible for not making the “necessary decisions” needed in international talks to restore the JCPOA, the American network CNN Friday cited “US intelligence officials” claiming Tehran had sought Russian help in acquiring “additional nuclear materials and with nuclear fuel fabrication” should JCPOA talks fail.
Russia has consistently expressed support for the JCPOA, and alongside China and three western European signatories criticized the US over its 2018 withdrawal, prompting Iran by 2019 to begin expanding the program. CNN gave no details of the assistance Iran had reportedly sought, nor why it needed Russian help given it is already enriching uranium to 60 percent and has stockpiled uranium well in excess of JCPOA limits.
While not confirming the CNN story, National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson told the network the US was “working with partners to expose the growing ties between Iran and Russia – and hold them accountable.” She said that while “the JCPOA is not on the agenda… we will be firm in countering any cooperation that would be counter to our non-proliferation goals.”
‘Unabated expansion’
While the G7 statement expressed concern at the “unabated expansion of Iran’s nuclear program, it made no specific reference to the JCPOA while calling on Iran to “fulfill its legal obligations and political commitments in the field of nuclear non-proliferation without further delay.”
The statement pledged to continue work between the G7 and “other international partners…to address Iran’s nuclear escalation and insufficient cooperation with the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] regarding its [Nuclear] Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) safeguards agreement.” One of the issues holding up progress in JCPOA talks has reportedly been Iran’s demand that the IAEA drop a probe into unexplained uranium traces found in sites related to Iran’s nuclear work before 2003.
The G7 statement also condemned Iran “destabilizing activities in and around the Middle East,” including “transfers of…advanced weaponry to state and non-state actors,” apparently a reference to Iran’s links with Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad, Hezbollah in Lebanon, armed Palestinian groups, and Ansar Allah in Yemen.
The statement deplored “the Iranian government’s erosion of civil space, and independent journalism, its targeting of human rights defenders, including by shutting down the internet and social media.” It urged Iranian authorities to “treat women as equal, respecting the universal rights provided to them under the relevant international human rights treaties.” It called for the release in Iran of “unjustly detained prisoners, including recently arrested protesters, children, journalists and human rights defenders, and... accountability for perpetrators of human rights violations and abuses.”
