Iran Prepares Satellite Launch Linked to Ballistic Missiles
by JNS.org
The Shahab-3 missile, seen here during Iran’s 2012 “Great Prophet” military exercise. The Shahab-3 is a medium-range ballistic missile capable of delivering nuclear weapons. Photo: Hossein Velayati via Wikimedia Commons.
JNS.org – Iran is preparing a site for launching a satellite, Iranian Minister of Information and Communications Technology Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi said on Monday.
“Yes, a site is being prepared for placing the Zafar satellite into orbit,” he tweeted, according to the Reuters report.
He also said that after the Zafar is in orbit a timeline is finalized to launch five more.
The US sees the long-range ballistic technology used to launch a satellite as cover for use in launching nuclear warheads, the report noted. Iran denies the allegation.
Related coverage
Separately, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said in a speech on live TV on Tuesday that the current US government is the worst in American history, reported Reuters.
Meanwhile, a motion in Iran to quit the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty was introduced in parliament on Tuesday, reported the assembly’s news site ICANA.
The report didn’t mention a time when the vote would take place, though Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has the final decision, according to Reuters.
