Iran's Revolutionary Guard, a paramilitary organization, successfully launched a satellite into space on Saturday, according to state-run media.
This marks the second successful launch of a satellite using the same rocket, raising concerns among Western nations about the potential advancement of Iran's ballistic missile program.
As reported by CBS News, the launch was carried out using a mobile launcher, with the rocket blasting off from the Guard's launch pad located on the outskirts of Shahroud, a city situated approximately 215 miles east of Tehran. The launch was confirmed through an analysis of video footage and other imagery released by Iranian media.
This development comes at a time of escalating tension in the Middle East, fueled by the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Iran has been actively involved in this conflict, launching a direct missile-and-drone attack on Israel. Concurrently, Iran continues to enrich uranium to nearly weapons-grade levels, a move that has raised alarm among nonproliferation experts regarding Tehran's program.
The rocket used for the launch, identified as the Qaem-100, was previously used in a successful launch in January. The rocket, powered by solid fuel and composed of three stages, carried the Chamran-1 satellite, weighing 132 pounds, into a 340-mile orbit. The rocket bore a Quranic verse: "That which is left by Allah is better for you, if you are believers."
The satellite was constructed by a state-owned subsidiary of Iran's Defense Ministry and experts at the Aerospace Research Institute. According to state media, the satellite, along with others, was built to "test hardware and software systems for orbital maneuver technology validation," although no further details were provided.
Gen. Hossein Salami, the head of the Guard, lauded the launch, stating that scientists had successfully navigated "the atmosphere of extensive and oppressive international sanctions." The U.S. State Department and the American military have yet to comment on the launch.
The United States has previously criticized Iran's satellite launches, claiming they defy a U.N. Security Council resolution. The U.S. has urged Tehran to refrain from any activity involving ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons. U.N. sanctions related to Iran's ballistic missile program expired last October.
Under the leadership of former President Hassan Rouhani, Iran had slowed its space program to avoid escalating tensions with the West. However, his successor, hard-line President Ebrahim Raisi, advanced the program. The intentions of Iran's new president, the reformist Masoud Pezeshkian, regarding the program remain unclear as he has remained silent on the issue during his campaign.
The U.S. intelligence community has expressed concern that Iran's development of satellite launch vehicles could expedite the country's development of an intercontinental ballistic missile, given the similar technology involved. Such missiles can be used to deliver nuclear weapons. Iran is currently producing uranium close to weapons-grade levels following the collapse of its nuclear deal with world powers. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency has repeatedly warned that Tehran has enough enriched uranium for "several" nuclear weapons, should it choose to produce them.
While Iran has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons and maintains that its space program and nuclear activities are for civilian purposes, U.S. intelligence agencies and the IAEA have stated that Iran had an organized military nuclear program until 2003.
The launch also coincided with the second anniversary of the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini, which sparked nationwide protests against Iran's mandatory headscarf law and the country's Shiite theocracy.
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