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Launch of the satellite launcher from an unknown location in Iran
Photo: - / AFP
In the midst of the stalled nuclear negotiations in Vienna, Iran has announced the launch of a rocket into space.
The "Simorgh" satellite launch vehicle had brought three "research devices" into space, Defense Minister Ahmed Hosseini said on Thursday, according to state television.
The US reacted "with concern," but stated that it would continue to pursue a return to the nuclear deal through diplomacy.
The rocket launch is likely to cause annoyance among Tehran's negotiating partners in Vienna.
In February Iran reported a successful test of its most powerful satellite carrier to date, "Soldschanah".
The US had already criticized this test and warned that it could advance Iran in the further development of its ballistic missile systems.
According to the United States, satellite carriers contain ballistic missile technology
The launchers now used "contain technologies that are practically identical and interchangeable with those used in ballistic missiles, including systems with longer range," said a US State Department spokesman.
The Iranian space launches also violated a UN Security Council resolution passed in 2015 in connection with the nuclear deal, the spokesman added.
Accordingly, Tehran should not develop missiles that could potentially carry nuclear warheads.
For this reason, according to the Reuters news agency, a German diplomat asked Iran to stop sending satellite missiles into space.
Defense Minister Hosseini, however, said that the “research goals planned for the start” had been achieved.
He did not provide any further details.
Iran claims that its ballistic missile and space programs are only pursuing civil and defense objectives.
Tehran denies violations of the international nuclear agreement of 2015 by the programs.
Difficult nuclear negotiations
The latest round of negotiations on a revival of the nuclear agreement between Iran and representatives of Russia, China, Great Britain, France and Germany began in Vienna on Monday.
The US is indirectly involved in the negotiations.
Diplomats recently described the talks as difficult.
The Iranian chief negotiator Ali Bagheri, however, spoke on Thursday of "relatively satisfactory" progress.
In the talks it was "mainly about the lifting of the sanctions," said Bagheri, according to a video published by the Tasnim news agency.
Talks will continue on January 3rd
A spokesman for the US State Department reported on Tuesday of "some modest progress," but as previously pointed out to the Europeans that time was pressing in view of the nuclear developments in Iran.
Negotiations are to be continued on January 3rd after an interruption due to the turn of the year.
The international nuclear agreement is intended to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons.
The United States withdrew from the agreement in 2018 under the then President Donald Trump and again imposed massive sanctions on Tehran.
Thereafter, Iran also gradually withdrew from the agreement.
col / AFP / Reuters