Thursday December 30th 2021
Tehran speaks of research
Iran is sending another launch vehicle into space
Negotiations are currently under way in Vienna to revive the nuclear agreement with Iran. The fact that Tehran is once again sending a satellite launcher into space should not make the already difficult talks any easier. Western states are concerned about the tests.
In the midst of the stalled nuclear negotiations in Vienna, Iran has announced the launch of a rocket into space. The “Simorgh” satellite launcher has brought three “research devices” into space, Defense Minister Ahmad Hosseini said, according to state television. The “research goals planned for the start” had been achieved, added Hosseini. He did not provide any further details.
The rocket launch is likely to cause annoyance among Tehran’s negotiating partners in Vienna. In February Iran reported a successful test of its most powerful satellite carrier to date, “Soldschanah”. The US had criticized this test and warned that the test could advance Iran in the further development of its ballistic missile systems.
Western nations fear that satellite launch systems may incorporate technology similar to ballistic missile technologies capable of delivering nuclear warheads. Iran claims that its ballistic missile and space programs are only pursuing civil and defense objectives. Tehran denies violations of the international nuclear agreement of 2015 by the programs.
The latest round of negotiations on a revival of the nuclear agreement with Tehran began in Vienna on Monday. The agreement aims to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons. The United States withdrew from the agreement in 2018 under the then President Donald Trump and again imposed massive sanctions on Tehran. Thereafter, Iran also gradually withdrew from the agreement. Diplomats recently described the talks as difficult.