Iran announces successful launch of an imaging satellite

Iran claimed Wednesday that it successfully sent an imaging satellite into orbit after years of failed attempts. Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard carried out the most recent launch, seeing more success with their Noor-3 satellite than previous attempts. The Guard operates its space program and military infrastructure separately from the rest of Iran’s military, and it answers directly to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

What is the U.S. response to the satellite? The U.S. military did not immediately comment Wednesday about the launch. The U.S. military has said the same long-range ballistic technology used to launch satellites into orbit could potentially help Iran launch long-range missiles, including nuclear weapons. However, Iran denies the claim that their satellite activity is a cover for ballistic weapon development, saying that the country has never pursued the development of nuclear weapons.

Dig deeper: Listen to Mary Reichard interview former Defense Department staffer Robert Wilkie about Iran’s diplomacy on The World and Everything in It podcast.