• The satellite is in orbit at 450 kilometers above Earth.
• It was launched using the Qased carrier, following Noor 2 in 2022.
• US military expresses concerns about dual-use technology for missiles.

As reported by official media, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards successfully launched a third military satellite into space on Wednesday, citing Minister of Communications Issa Zarepour. The Noor 3 imaging satellite is 450 kilometres above the earth’s surface and was launched by the three-stage Qased, or message carrier, which carried its predecessor Noor 2 in 2022, according to official media.

According to the US military, the same long-range ballistic technology used to launch satellites might also allow Tehran to launch longer-range missiles, potentially even nuclear warheads.

Tehran dismisses US claims that such effort is a cover for ballistic missile development and claims that it has never undertaken nuclear weapons development.

Iran, which has one of the most extensive missile projects in the Middle East, has seen many satellite launches fail in recent years owing to technical concerns.

The United States sanctioned businesses and individuals in China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Iran on Wednesday for assisting the Iranian attack drone project, which Washington accuses of selling such weapons to Russia for use in Ukraine.

The US Treasury announced sanctions against five entities and two individuals who were part of a network that assisted in the procurement of critical parts for Iran’s unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) programme, including servomotors, which help control position and speed.

[embedpost slug=”/south-africa-floods-11-dead-after-western-cape-deluge/”]