Iran announced a successful satellite launch into its highest orbit to date, marking advancement in a program that raises concerns in the West about the potential enhancement of Tehran's ballistic missiles.

Amid heightened tensions in the broader Middle East due to Israel's ongoing conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Iran announced a successful satellite launch into its highest orbit. This development follows recent tit-for-tat airstrikes between Iran and Pakistan in each other's territories.

The state-run IRNA news agency reported that Iran successfully deployed the Soraya satellite into an orbit approximately 750 kilometers (460 miles) above the Earth's surface, utilizing its three-stage Qaem 100 rocket.

Although the specific function of the satellite was not immediately disclosed, Telecommunications Minister Isa Zarepour characterized the launch as carrying a 50-kilogram (110-pound) payload. The launch was conducted as part of Iran's space program, which involves collaboration between the Revolutionary Guards and the civilian space program.

Independent confirmation of the satellite's successful orbital placement was not immediately available. Requests for comment from the U.S. military and the State Department went unanswered at the time of reporting.

The United States has criticized Iran for violating a U.N. Security Council resolution by conducting satellite launches. While U.N. sanctions on Iran's ballistic missile program have expired, the U.S. contends that these launches expedite the development of intercontinental ballistic missiles, sharing similar technology.

The U.S. intelligence community's 2023 assessment warns that Iran's satellite launch vehicles shorten the timeline for potential intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities. This concern arises as Iran, post-nuclear deal collapse, produces uranium near weapons-grade levels, with enough enriched uranium for several nuclear weapons, as repeatedly cautioned by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Iran denies nuclear weapon ambitions, citing civilian use for its space program. U.S. intel and IAEA point to a past military nuclear program until 2003. Recent launches by the Guard using a mobile launcher raise concerns.

The Guard, under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, unveiled its space program in 2020. Despite some successes, recent setbacks include five consecutive failures in the Simorgh program.

Image source: Hindustan Times