White House calls Iran rocket launch “troubling”
Washington, 17 August (IranVNC)—The White House today said Iran’s announcement that it had launched a rocket capable of carrying a satellite into space was “troubling”, and raised concerns about Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
By: IranVNC
Published: Sunday, August 17, 2008
21:00GMT—5:00PM/EST
U.S. – IRAN – ROCKET – REACTION
Washington, 17 August (IranVNC)—The White House today said Iran’s announcement that it had launched a rocket capable of carrying a satellite into space was “troubling”, and raised concerns about Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
“The Iranian development and testing of rockets is troubling and raises further questions about their intentions,” White House spokesperson Gordon Johndroe said in a statement.
The statement added: “This action and dual use possibilities for their ballistic missile program have been a subject of IAEA discussions and are inconsistent with their UN Security Council obligations.”
Iran announced earlier today that it had sent a satellite-carrying rocket, named Safir [Envoy], into space, carrying a test satellite, named Omid [Hope].
“The Safir rocket was successfully launched. All its systems… are Iranian made,” AFP quoted Reza Taqipour, the head of Iran’s space agency, as saying in an interview on state television.
Taqipour added that a “test satellite was put into orbit,” and said: “We have paved the way for placing a satellite in space in the future.”
According to a statement from Iran’s armed forces, quoted by the semi-official ISNA news agency, the test took place with the aim of “ratifying the operation of the satellite-carrier, the long-distance data-processing system, telemetry stations, long-distance control and determining the position of the satellite.”
In February, Tehran drew criticism from Washington when it test-fired the rocket “Kavosh-gar-1” [Explorer-1],which it said was designed to carry a satellite.
Washington is leading international efforts to stop Iran’s nuclear program, which it suspects is aimed at building a nuclear weapon. Iran denies the charge.
Sources: White House website, Agence France-Presse, ISNA in Persian
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