After removing cameras from its nuclear sites, Iran launches rocket
- In Reports
- 10:44 PM, Jun 27, 2022
- Myind Staff
Iranian state television said Sunday that Tehran had launched a solid-fuelled rocket into space, drawing a rebuke from Washington ahead of the expected resumption of stalled talks over Tehran’s tattered nuclear deal with world powers.
It's unclear when or where the rocket was launched, but the announcement came after satellite photos showed preparations at Imam Khomeini Spaceport in Iran’s rural Semnan province, the site of Iran's frequent failed attempts to put a satellite into orbit.
State-run media aired dramatic footage of the blast-off against the backdrop of heightened tensions over Tehran’s nuclear program, which is racing ahead under decreasing international oversight.
Iran had previously acknowledged that it planned more tests for the satellite-carrying rocket, which it first launched in February of last year.
Ahmad Hosseini, the spokesman for Iran's Defense Ministry, said Zuljanah, a 25.5 meter-long rocket capable of carrying a payload of 220 kilograms (485 pounds), would gather data in a low-earth orbit. It was not immediately clear whether it reached its intended orbit. Zuljanah is named for the horse of Imam Hussein, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad. The aim of launching the rocket is to promote Iran’s space industry, according to Ahmad Hosseini, spokesman for Iran’s Defense Ministry.
The White House said it was aware of Iran's announcement and criticized the move as unhelpful and destabilizing. It said it was committed to using sanctions and other measures to prevent further advances in Iran's ballistic missile program.
Image source: AFP
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