Alwaght- The US and its European allies have made much fuss about Iran's successfully testing a satellite-launch rocket, urging the west Asian country to halt all its missile activities.
Britain, France, Germany and the US issued a joint statement on Friday alleging that the test was in breach of UN Security Council Resolution 2231, which was adopted in July 2015 to endorse Iran's nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Actions (JCPOA), with P5+1 group of Countries.
"Iran's program to develop ballistic missiles continues to be inconsistent with UNSCR 2231 and has a destabilizing impact in the region. We call on Iran not to conduct any further ballistic missile launches and related activities," the statement added.
Iran, however, says it has completely kept to the commitments it made under JCPOA, arguing that the Islamic republic has only promised not to develop nuclear capable missiles.
Resolution 2231 calls on Iran "not to undertake any activity related to ballistic missiles designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons, including launches using such ballistic missile technology."
Iran’s Imam Khomeini Space Center on Thursday successfully launched its domestically-manufactured Simorgh carrier, whose mission is to put Iranian satellites into the orbit.
A view of the Imam Khomeini Space Center in the central Iranian province of Semnan on July 27, 2017 (Photo by Fars news agency)
Simorgh satellite carrier is able to put satellites weighing as much as 250 kilograms at an orbit about 500 kilometers above the Earth’s surface.
The statement by the US and its European allies came a day after Washington described the successful satellite-carrying rocket launch as “a provocative action,” accusing Iran of violating UN Security Council resolutions.
Since his inauguration on January 20, US President Donald Trump has adopted a hostile policy towards Iran.
He has repeatedly vowed to cancel the nuclear agreement between Iran and the P5+1 group of countries, including the US. Trump’s administration has also imposed new sanctions on multiple Iranian individuals and entities.
Iran rejects West allegations deems Missile Program as peaceful
"Iran – unlike the US – has complied in good faith with the letter and spirit of the JCPOA (nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action),” Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif said on his official Twitter account on Friday, adding that the US rhetoric and actions, show its “bad faith.”
He noted that “every word” of the deal has been carefully negotiated, adding, “Iran does not develop missiles that are designed to be capable of delivering nuclear weapons.”
The top Iranian diplomat emphasized that Iran has never been and would not be developing nuclear weapons, saying, “So, by definition cannot develop anything designed to be capable of delivering them.”
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also hailed the successful test-launch, saying such scientific achievements boost the Islamic Republic’s power and grandeur.
Iran’s Defense Minister Hossein Dehqan, who accompanied Rouhani at the space center on Thursday, told reporters that the spaceport acted as a “command and control site” that could track and control satellites at all times.
He noted that the center was already capable of launching satellites to higher orbits of up to 1,000 kilometers.
Iran launched its first locally-built satellite, Omid (Hope), in 2009. The country also sent its first bio-capsule containing living creatures into space in February 2010, using Kavoshgar (Explorer)-3 carrier.
In February 2015, Iran placed the domestically-made Fajr (Dawn) satellite into orbit. The satellite is capable of taking and transmitting high-quality and accurate pictures to stations on Earth.
Simorgh's launch came as the US Congress passed new sanctions against Iran over its development of missiles for defensive purposes. The bill, which also includes sanctions against Russia and North Korea, awaits US President Donald Trump's approval.
