By Najmeh Bozorgmehr in Tehran
Published: February 3 2010 10:03 | Last updated: February 3 2010 19:14
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/ae107830-1...44feab49a.html
Iran said on Wednesday it had successfully test-fired a new satellite-carrying rocket in defiance of western concerns that the technology could help the Islamic regime develop nuclear missiles.
The move was condemned as a ”provocative act” by the US which has in recent weeks raised the level of its rhetoric on Tehran.
Domestic media said the Kavoshgar 3 rocket – meaning explorer – carried an “experimental capsule” containing live species. Ahmad Vahidi, Iran’s defence minister, later said a mouse, turtle and worm were amongst the animals despatched in the rocket.
President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad said Iran’s space achievements were “like a miracle” which happened because the nation strongly believed in God. The test comes at a time when the US has said that it was upgrading the missile defence systems of some of Iran’s neighbours.
Iran last year launched its first satellite into space in order, it said, to gather information and to test equipment.
Western countries suspect Iran has acquired the technology to produce a long-range nuclear weapon and that it is using the rocket launches as tests. The Islamic regime in Tehran denies that its nuclear and missile programmes are linked.
Iran also unveiled on Wednesday three new rockets, including one, the Simorgh, which can carry satellites into orbit. The latter is supposed to be launched in two years' time.
The space achievements come at a time Iran is pressing ahead with its nuclear programme.
The major powers are studying a new round of sanctions following Iran’s refusal to send two thirds of its low enriched uranium abroad in exchange for uranium enriched at higher grade for its research reactor.
However, Mr Ahmadi-Nejad said on Tuesday that Iran would have “no problem” giving the west its low-enriched uranium and taking it back when it was enriched for use in the reactor.
He blamed some Iranian politicians for blocking the deal which he said Israel and Britain were also blocking because an agreement could ease Iran’s tensions with the international community.
“I was confident that these countries [US, France, Russia, Germany and China] wanted to change confrontation into interaction,” he said, defending the UN-brokered deal.
Western diplomats in Tehran suspect that Mr Ahmadi-Nejad is ready to swap the uranium but his opponents – both fundamentalists and reformists – have sabotaged it to deny him taking credit for a deal.
US condemns ‘provocative’ Iranian test
