Iran’s Second Attempt at Launching a Satellite
Deputy Minister of Defense Ghasem Taghizadeh announced the successful launch of Friendship satellite. He claimed that the missile has put the satellite in orbit.
Two Photos from the Imam Khomeini Space Center have been published which the first shows a missile ready to launch and the second shows the platform empty with burn marks.
According to NPR, the burn marks indicate that a missile has most likely been launched from that platform, “although it probably wasn’t able to put the satellite in orbit.”
But Taghizadeh claimed that it will take the satellite three to four months to get in its orbit.
This is the second satellite launch in the past month using ballistic missile technology. The previous launch was unsuccessful.
Mike Pompeo called the new missile launch a threat against Europe and U.S. The Foreign minister of France said negotiation with the Islamic Republic about the IRGC missile program is futile. Germany also warned about Iran’s missile program.
In response to these warnings, the commander of Iran’s armed forces said: “We will not be bullied by their threats and we will not negotiate over our missiles and regional interests.”