Iran’s space program has suffered some setbacks recently. Last August, a launcher exploded at launch for mysterious reasons. In February, the attempt to launch a communications satellite into orbit also failed two other attempts last year. There was speculation about sabotage; Current Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, as head of the CIA, had ordered that a program be accelerated. US President Donald Trump fired them up with malicious tweets. However, on Thursday, the U.S. military confirmed that Iran has launched its first military satellite into orbit. The Revolutionary Guards fired the three-stage launch vehicle on Wednesday – apparently without the preparations for launch having been discovered beforehand.
Trump threatens Iran with the destruction of gunboats
In Iran, the start is celebrated as a “great achievement” in the middle of the corona crisis that hit the country hard. The successful satellite launch is said to rehabilitate the air force of the military’s elite unit, which is responsible for the shooting down of a Ukrainian passenger plane on January 8. At that time, 176 people were on board. Air defence had assumed that the plane launched in Tehran was a US cruise missile after the military exchange of blows with the United States over the killing of General Qassem Soleimani. The tensions between the Islamic Republic and the USA are already reaching the fateful level of the time – the rocket launch is only the last episode of the escalation.
About the capabilities of the military satellite called JustHardly, anything is known. The intelligence services should pay more attention to the anyway Qased- Aim the launcher. It had been fired from a mobile launch pad. According to the Revolutionary Guard, it also combines engines that run on liquid and solid fuels. Solid rockets are considered more suitable for military purposes because they do not need to be refuelled. A mobile system is also more difficult to discover.
The technology used for a satellite launch is also suitable for use in ballistic missiles, and Iran seems to be making significant progress in its development. In 2011, the military development of solid-state missiles in Iran was slowed down by an explosion at a Revolutionary Guard base, killing General Hassan Tehrani Moghaddam. The Revolutionary Guards spoke of an accident at the time, but many indications indicated an air raid.
US Secretary of State Pompeo announced that he would hold Iran accountable for the satellite launch. This runs counter to a UN Security Council resolution that prohibits the Islamic Republic from developing ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons. Iran argues that it has never worked on developing nuclear weapons – which is doubtful. Pompeo announced that it would call the UN Security Council. In the past, the EU and the federal government have condemned such rocket launches and viewed them as a breach of the UN resolution.
The commander of the Revolutionary Guards announced attacks on US warships
Almost simultaneously with the launch of the rocket in the central Iranian desert, US President Trump fired a broadside against Iran on Twitter: he had instructed the Navy to “shoot down and destroy every and every Iranian gunboat” that is bothering US ships at sea. He was referring to an incident in which, according to the U.S. Navy a week ago, eleven Revolutionary Guard speedboats in the northern Persian Gulf had pressed a U.S. Coast Guard boat and warships and were approaching the coast guard boat within ten meters.
The Revolutionary Guard commander, Hossein Salami, has announced attacks on U.S. warships in response to threats to Iranian ships. Last week, the Revolutionary Guards boarded an anchored oil tanker flying the Hong Kong flag. They ordered the crew to enter Iranian waters but released the ship after an inspection.
Similar provocations had fueled tensions in the Gulf last year. In Iraq, there have been repeated attacks on American targets over the past few weeks, for which Shiite militias controlled by Iran are held responsible. In response to such attacks, Trump ordered the drone attack on General Soleimani in Baghdad in January.
Meanwhile, the United States is blocking a Tehran loan request from the International Monetary Fund. The regime has said it has asked for $ 5 billion to help fight the corona epidemic. So far, according to official information, there are more than 87,000 infected and almost 5,500 dead in Iran. The US argues that Iran will use the money for destabilizing military activities and therefore rejects any easing of the sanctions.
