Iran launched a satellite into space Saturday with a rocket built by the country’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, state-run media reported, marking another milestone in a program that concerns the West due to its ties to Tehran’s ballistic missile development.
Iran described the launch as successful, making it the second time a satellite was put into orbit using this rocket. Independent confirmation of the launch’s success is pending.
Footage released by Iranian media showed the rocket taking off from a mobile launcher. The launch site was likely the Guard’s facility near Shahroud, about 350 kilometers east of Tehran.
The launch occurred amidst heightened tensions in the Middle East, especially with the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict and Iran’s recent missile attacks on Israel. The country’s uranium enrichment activities have also raised concerns about its nuclear ambitions.
The rocket used for the launch, named Qaem-100, had been previously employed in a successful launch earlier this year. The satellite it carried, Chamran-1, was placed in a 550-kilometer orbit.
Iranian media reported that the satellite was developed to test orbital maneuver technology and was constructed by experts at the Aerospace Research Institute.
General Hossein Salami, the head of the Guard, commended the success of the launch despite international sanctions. The U.S. State Department and military have not yet commented on the event.
The United States has previously criticized Iran’s satellite launches for violating U.N. resolutions. Sanctions related to Iran’s missile program elapsed last year.
Under Iran’s new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, the future of the space program remains uncertain, as he did not address the issue during his campaign. The U.S. intelligence community warns that Iran’s satellite program could aid in the development of long-range missiles.
The launch coincides with the anniversary of Mahsa Amini’s death, which sparked protests against Iran’s mandatory hijab law and religious rule.
