Trump on satellite launch: We know more about Iran than they do

The US president says Washington is watching Iran closely and was closely following the satellite launch. Mike Pompeo said Iran must be held accountable. The Pentagon deputy chief called Iran's behavior "evil."

In a White House press conference, the US President said, in response to the launch of the Noor satellite, "We are closely monitoring Iran and we know more about Iran than they do."

Donald Trump added that Washington was closely following the satellite launch process.

The US Secretary of State also condemned the IRGC's launch of a satellite-carrying missile and said in a press conference that Iran must be held accountable. Mike Pompeo emphasized in a press conference that the missile was launched by an entity that is on the US list of "terrorist organizations."

Pompeo recalled that, contrary to Iran's insistence on the civilian nature of its satellite programs, the Noor missile proved that the United States' view was correct.

At the same time, US State Department spokesperson Morgan Ortagus said that the launch of the Noor satellite is a violation of Security Council Resolution 2231 and that Washington wants this issue to be reviewed by the Security Council.

The US Department of Defense has not yet taken a position on the IRGC's action, but the deputy chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff said that the missile traveled a very long distance: "... This is an affirmation that Iran has the ability to threaten its neighbors and our allies."

"Everyone should know that we monitor and detect every rocket and missile launch from the ground. That includes the recent Iranian missile. We will not provide any further information because it is classified and confidential," Gen. John Hyten said at a news conference.

At the same press conference, the Pentagon deputy chief called Iran's behavior "evil."

The Israeli Foreign Ministry also condemned the launch of the Noor military satellite and called on the international community to tighten sanctions against Iran in a statement. The statement said that Iran is continuing its military programs while it should be working on the Corona crisis and its affected citizens.

Explaining why the IRGC's space programs are separate, Iran's communications minister told the Associated Press: "Iran's space program is peaceful, with a part carried out by the government, and the peaceful defense part is naturally pursued by the armed forces."

The Revolutionary Guard Corps announced the successful launch of the Islamic Republic's first military satellite on Wednesday, May 22. The IRGC's announcement stated: "The Noor satellite was successfully launched from the three-stage Qased satellite carrier from the central desert of Iran and placed in an orbit of 425 kilometers above the Earth."

No further details about this military satellite have been released. In domestic media, the most visible is congratulations and praise from officials for the IRGC's capabilities.

The Noor satellite was launched into space in Iran’s fifth attempt. All previous attempts had failed. The last case was the “Zafar” communications satellite, which was launched in February 2019 on the occasion of the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. The satellite crashed eight minutes after takeoff. “The satellite reached an orbit of 540 kilometers, but the satellite carrier did not reach the required speed of 7,400 kilometers,” explained Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, Minister of Communications.

Iran has always claimed that its satellites have a civilian function. The United States considers Iran's satellite programs to be a cover for military and missile activities.

Source: DW