military satellite Iran launched overnight
(CNN)The United States has assessed that Iran successfully launched a military satellite into orbit for the first time on Wednesday, according to two US Defense Department officials.
The move is seen as a significant step because the country’s space program utilizes the same technology that would be needed to launch an intercontinental ballistic missile, which would increase Tehran’s capability to strike enemy targets.
US Space Command is tracking two objects in orbit that were launched from within Iran, according to one of the officials. One is a rocket body and the other is assessed to be the satellite. The rocket body may still be in orbit because the Iranian program is not sophisticated enough to have perfected re-entry into the atmosphere.
Earlier on Wednesday, Gen. John Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the US was tracking the launch closely but declined to confirm the satellite had reached orbit.
Hyten said a successful launch would mean that Iran “has the ability, once again, to threaten their neighbors, our allies. And we want to make sure that they can never threaten the United States. So we watch that very carefully.”
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Iran needed “to be held accountable” for the launch, which he said violated a UN Security Council resolution.
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Trump on Twitter tells US Navy to ‘shoot down and destroy’ Iranian boats that harass US ships[/URL]
On Wednesday morning President Donald Trump tweeted that he has instructed the US Navy to “shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats” that harass US ships.
“I have instructed the United States Navy to shoot down and destroy any and all Iranian gunboats if they harass our ships at sea,” Trump wrote.
The tweet was the latest provocative threat Trump has levied against Tehran amid scrutiny of his handling of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and raises fears about possibility of a miscalculation between the two longtime foes.
The tweet and satellite launch come after tensions escalated sharply in recent months. In January, the US killed Iran’s second most powerful official, Gen. Qasem Soleimani. Earlier this month, Trump, without citing any evidence, claimed that his administration had information that “Iran or its proxies are planning a sneak attack on US troops and/or assets in Iraq.” He warned of a “heavy price” to pay if such acts were carried out.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said earlier on Wednesday that the launch of the Noor Satellite had been successful. It was carried out in the central desert of Iran, according to a statement released by the IRGC. CNN has not been able to independently verify the success of the launch.
There have been several failed attempts to launch a similar satellite.
Iran has had a growing space launch vehicle program aimed at putting satellites with missiles atop them into space. According to the Defense Intelligence Agency, Tehran has conducted several successful launches of a two-stage program known as Safir, beginning in 2008. In July 2017 and January 2019, it launched a larger two-stage space launch booster rocket but failed to put a satellite into orbit.
CNN reported in August 2019 that an Iranian rocket exploded on the launch pad of Khomeini Space Center.
Iran has claimed it has successfully put communications and remote-sensing satellites into orbit, according to DIA, as well as small “microsatellites”.
Iran seems to be learning and gaining new technology when it comes to weaponry despite the sanctions. Next they might end up developing ICBM to deliver nuclear war heads to any part of the earth. And Iran is a terrorist nation. Tujichunge!
Yes even the US government is terrorist. It has been invading other countries and arming armed groups to overthrow govts and that is in public domain. We must separate the goverment from the people.Majority of the people or citizens of US and Iran are actually good. The govt is the one messing things up
wenye walitomba mamako ndio uzaliwe wangetumia condom mbili na watupe hio tucker tucker iko ndani ya condom (wewe) kwa sewage ukulwe na chura …meffi sana …Huyu jamaa amekuja na ubaya juu niliaibisha yeye juzi hapa , revenge manenos :D:D
Iran has achieved all of its agenda in the middle East, US has been defeated countless times in the middle East. Half US’s young men return from middle east in coffins, the other half in wheelchairs.
Iran has never invaded any country. How is Iran a terrorist nation? Having the largest deposits of Natural gas in the world does not make a nation a terrorist statement
No they did not.
They reached as far as the coastal areas of Bulgaria and Romania, Crimea, Thrace and Georgia.
That is barely 4 percent of Europe.
The Greeks kept them at bay in Europe. At no point did Darius manage to reach Europe Proper.
Also, Iran does not Equal Persia by virtue of the fact that Present Day Iran is a confederation of both Iranic (Persian, Kurd), Luzand Turkic(Azeri, Turkmen,) people while Persia was purely Iranic(Medes and Persians).
Also Iran rejects anything to do with Pre-Islamic Persia.
It is the equivalent of saying Afghanistan and present day Tajikistan have anything to do with Bactria or Turkey has anything to do with Ancient Greece.
No. Iran is a terrorist nation because it has sponsored terrorism on an even larger scale than Al Qaeda and for far longer.
Do we need to repeat the cases of Iranian terrorism here??
In 2012 alone, Iran sponsored successful bombings in Azerbaijan,Georgia,India,and Bulgaria while several failed or half failed ones in Thailand, Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria and Cyprus.
We have the IRGC terrorists at Shimo La Tewa right now
Since then, it has targeted Cyprus(twice) France, Denmark, and even tried to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador to the US right at the heart of Washington DC.
It is not just the US, Iran has gone on a bombing spree of nations that do not even experience terrorism within their borders or do not expect terrorism financed and supported by a country.
Like who expects a terror attack in Georgia, Cyprus and Bulgaria??
On Iran being designated as a terrorism supporter, even China and Russia do not exactly object to the notion.And even countries like India that work with Iran have not hesitated in calling them out for state sponsored terrorism
