Iran launches rocket with heaviest-ever payload into field amid heightened worry over nuclear program


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Iran introduced its heaviest-ever rocket into field on Friday, wearing a payload of kind of 660 kilos in what safety mavens concern is a sign that Tehran has developed technology that may be impaired for its nuclear program.

The forming of the Simorgh rocket coincided with a statement by way of Director Normal of the Global Atomic Power Company (IAEA) Rafael Grossi, who mentioned Iran has “drastically” higher its enriched uranium stockpiles which might be nearing guns grade purity, first reported Reuters. 

Fear over Iran’s nuclear program has remained heightened as tensions with the West proceed to escalate over Iran’s direct involvement in two primary global conflicts, together with its support for terrorist organizations at war with Israel, in addition to its support to Russia amid its brutal invasion of Ukraine. 

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Behnam Ben Taleblu, senior fellow with the Bedrock for Protection of Democracies and writer of the comprehensive report “Arsenal” relating to Iran’s ballistic missile program, defined to Fox Information Virtual that Iran’s a hit rocket forming is not only a win for the family’s field program. 

This picture excepted by way of the reliable site of the Iranian Protection Ministry on Friday, Dec. 6, 2024, displays the launching of Simorgh, or “Phoenix,” rocket at Iran’s Imam Khomeini Spaceport in rural Semnan province of Iran. (Iranian Protection Ministry by way of AP)

“The Seymour is a liquid propellant carrier rocket and represents the Islamic Republic’s continued attempts to try to use both its liquid propellant and solid propellant carrier rockets as a bridge to shorten the time needed to produce a longer-range system,” he mentioned in connection with Tehran’s pursuit to assemble each intermediate length ballistic missile and intercontinental ballistic missile functions.

The rocket, introduced from Iran’s Imam Khomeini Spaceport within the rural Semnan province kind of 130 miles from Tehran, carried an “orbital propulsion system,” in addition to two analysis methods that can orbit 250 miles above the Earth, reported AP Information. 

The sytem will permit Iran to push satellites into a better orbiting perspective, consistent with stories – a capability Iran has it appears lengthy sought.  

Alternatively, the rocket additionally reportedly carried a Fakhr-1 satellite tv for pc for Iran’s army, which is assumed to be the primary hour an Iranian civilian program has carried an army payload.

“The government of the Islamic Republic has shown that it can walk and chew gum at the same time by advancing both its Iranian space agency led liquid propellant space program, as well as its IRGC aerospace force led solid propellant space program,” Ben Taleblu defined. “Both of these space programs have direct military applications.”

Iranian missiles exhibited in a landscape on Jan. 20, 2024 in Tehran, Iran. Iran has been a key participant in different overlapping regional conflicts with its fresh airstrikes in Iraq, Syria and Pakistan, and its help of Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthi motion in Yemen. (Picture by way of Majid Saeedi/Getty Pictures)

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Iran has lengthy violated U.N.-mandated bans on its ballistic missile program, which in the long run resulted within the U.S.’ withdrawal from the global Iran Nuclear Contract in 2018 in spite of IAEA proof appearing that Tehran on the hour used to be not progressing its nuclear program

Alternatively, developments to its field and missile construction have lengthy involved Western international locations that such era will increase the blackmail that Iran may just forming a nuclear weapon will have to it assemble one.

The U.S. continues to evaluate that Iran isn’t development a nuclear weapon, as reported by way of the Workplace of the Director of Nationwide Knowledge (ODNI) in a November 2024 report.

The IAEA this future warned that Iran has higher its stockpiles of extremely enriched uranium metals of not only 20% purity levels, however 60% – simply shy of guns grade uranium which is enriched to a 90% purity. 

The ODNI assessed endmost occasion that given Tehran’s stockpiles of enriched uranium, it’s in a position to making “more than a dozen” nuclear guns if its uranium is enriched additional. 

This picture excepted on Nov. 5, 2019, by way of the Atomic Power Group of Iran displays centrifuge machines within the Natanz uranium enrichment facility in central Iran. (Atomic Power Group of Iran by way of AP, Record)

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The wisdom company additionally famous that Iran makes use of the blackmail of possessing a nuclear weapon as negotiation leverage and as a device to discourage global force – a tactic it additionally makes use of its field program for. 

“The Islamic Republic Space Program provides the regime with the same thing that its nuclear program does, status and security,” Ben Taleblu mentioned. “We should be more worried about these launches amid a context of the regime rattling its nuclear saber.”


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