Home ›› 22 Apr 2020 ›› World Biz
Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard on Wednesday said it launched a military satellite, which the Guard called "Noor," or light, into the orbit amid wider tensions with the United States, describing it as a successful launch after months of failures.
The U.S. State Department and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On its official website, the Guard said the satellite successfully reached an orbit of 425 kilometres above the Earth's surface. The Guard called it the first military satellite ever launched by Tehran.
The launch comes amid tensions between Tehran and Washington over its collapsing nuclear deal and after a U.S. drone strike in Iraq killed Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani in January.
Iran, which long has said it does not seek nuclear weapons, previously maintained its satellite launches and rocket tests do not have a military component. The Guard launching its own satellite now calls that into question.
(Source: UNB)
