Iran Prepares Site for Satellite Launch That US Links to Ballistic Missiles

Iran is preparing a site to launch a satellite, a government minister said Monday, highlighting a program that the United States says is a cover for the development of ballistic missiles.

"Yes, a location is being prepared to put the Zafar satellite into orbit," tweeted Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi, Iranian Minister of Information and Communications Technology.

The post included a link to a story by National Public Radio, a U.S. station, which reported satellite imagery showing the Islamic Republic was planning for a blast. Iran last year had at least two missed launches of the satellites.

After the Zafar satellite is placed in orbit a timeline has been finalized to launch five more, the minister said.

The U.S. claims the long-range missile systems used to target satellites could also be used to fire nuclear warheads.

Tehran rejects the US allegation that such conduct is a cover for the production of ballistic missiles, and insists that it has never sought nuclear weapons development.

The administration of US President Donald Trump reimposed sanctions on Iran following Washington's 2018 withdrawal from an international accord designed to put curbs on Iran's nuclear program.

Trump said the nuclear deal did not go far enough and also did not include restrictions on Iran's missile program and support for its proxies in the Middle East region.

Tensions have reached the highest level in decades between Iran and the United States after top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani was killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad on January 3, prompting Iran to retaliate with a missile attack against a US base in Iraq days later.

Iran launched its first satellite Omid (Hope) in 2009 and the Rasad (Observation) satellite was sent into orbit in June 2011. Tehran said in 2012 that it had successfully put its third domestically-made satellite Navid (Promise) into orbit.

Source: Reuters