According to Iranian state media, Iran has successfully launched its Sorayya satellite into orbit.
This development is expected to heighten Western fears on Tehran’s nuclear aspirations.
The official television stated that the “Sorayya” satellite, developed by the Iranian Space Agency, was successfully launched on Saturday by a Qaem-100 rocket from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The satellite was placed in an orbit of 750 kilometers, marking “the first time Iran has succeeded in placing a research satellite in orbits higher than 500 kilometers,” according to the IRNA news agency.
Communications Minister Issa Zarepour mentioned that the “Sorayya research satellite weighs about 50 kilograms.”
Meanwhile, US military says the long-range ballistic technology used to put satellites into orbit could also allow Tehran to launch longer-range weapons, possibly including nuclear warheads.
Tehran denies US assertions that such activity is a cover for ballistic missile development and says it has never pursued the development of nuclear weapons.
With one of the largest missile programs in the Middle East, Iran has experienced a number of unsuccessful satellite launches recently as a result of technical difficulties.
The United States took action in October to stop Iran’s drone sales to Russia and to warn that Iran’s missile program would continue to be constrained even after UN Security Council sanctions ended.
According to the report, Washington has already placed sanctions on Iran’s two research organizations and civilian space agency in 2019, claiming that the actions were being used to further Tehran’s ballistic missile program.
