Iran launches a new satellite into space using technology feared by the West

Iran launched a satellite into space on Saturday on a rocket built by the country’s Revolutionary Guard, state media reported, but the launch drew attention from the West over fears that the technology used was I accelerated its missile development.

According to the state-run Tasnim News Agency, the rocket, known as Qaem-100, is a solid-fuel, three-stage rocket that launched the Chamran-1 satellite, weighing 132 kilograms, orbiting a distance of 340 kilometers. The incident, which was reported in Iranian media, showed that the rocket was being launched from a mobile platform near the city of Shahroud, kilometers about 215 east of the capital Tehran, according to an Associated Press review of video and other images.

The launch, described as a success by Iran, marks the second time the Qaem-100 rocket has carried a satellite into orbit, following a launch earlier this year.

The launch comes amid escalating tensions across the Middle East over Israel’s ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, which is fueling fears of a regional conflict with Iran-aligned groups in Yemen. Syria, Iraq and Lebanon have carried out attacks against the interests of the United States and Israel.

Iran remains a staunch supporter of Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, since its deadly attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which triggered the ongoing conflict in Gaza. In recent months, the conflict has killed more than 40,000 Palestinians, according to local health officials. The war has also led to the destruction of infrastructure and the displacement of nearly 90 percent of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents, many of whom have been forced to flee multiple times.

According to state media, the launch was a joint effort by the field agency of Iran Electronics Industries, the Aerospace Research Institute of Iran, and domestic knowledge-based companies that built the satellite to “test equipment and software for orbital management, technology verification,” the media said.

However, Western governments, such as the US, have previously warned Iran against such applications, saying the same technology could be used for ballistic missiles, Al Jazeera reported.

Although Iran says its space program is for civilian purposes, experts say the technology could shorten the time it takes for Iran to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

Newsweek reached the White House and Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs by email for comment.

The US scientific community and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have warned that Iran has enough uranium to produce several nuclear weapons, if it chooses to do so.

Although US officials have not yet responded to Saturday’s proposal, they have expressed concern about Iran’s satellite efforts, arguing that they violate UN Security Council resolutions and asking Iran not to do anything related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons.

According to Al Jazeera, UN sanctions related to Iran’s missile program ended last October.

However, Tehran has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons. This comes as Iran’s space program had previously declined under former President Hassan Rouhani, who feared provoking the West, but has grown under the tough leadership of late President Ebrahim Raisi. this year in a helicopter crash.

While Raisi’s death has led to uncertainty about the focus of Iran’s regional ambitions, continued disclosures suggest the country remains committed to advancing its technological and military capabilities.