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ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - Iranian state media on Thursday announced that the country has launched a research satellite into space, as talks in Vienna continue in an ongoing attempt to bring the country back into compliance with the 2015 nuclear accord.
“In this space research mission, for the first time, three research cargoes were launched simultaneously at an altitude of 470 km and a speed of 7350 m/s,” Iranian state media quoted Ahmad Hosseini, a defense ministry spokesperson as saying on Thursday.
“In this launch, the performance of the components of the space base and the performance of the satellite stages were performed correctly, and finally, the intended research goals of this launch were achieved,” he added, although he did not disclose the exact time and date of the launch.
Iran’s satellite launch comes as talks have resumed in Vienna to bring Iran back into compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).
Under former US President Donald Trump’s administration, the US withdrew from the nuclear accord and imposed a raft of sanctions in an effort to force Tehran to renegotiate a broader deal. President Joe Biden wants to return to the deal.
Iran’s space launch could alter the talks, despite US State Department spokesperson Ned Price on Tuesday telling reporters that there has been some “modest progress” in the talks.
Iran launched its first military satellite into space in April 2020, and in June, the Pentagon said that they were aware of a failed rocket launch by Iran.
Iran’s space program has been a matter of controversy among western powers, who worry that it incorporates technology that could also be used in ballistic missiles that are capable of delivering a nuclear warhead. Yet Iran has on several occasions claimed that both its space and nuclear program are for civilian purposes.
Adding to the tension, Iran’s atomic energy agency in November said that its stockpile of 20% enriched uranium has reached over 210 kilograms. Iran was not meant to enrich uranium above 3.67%, according to the JCPOA, with negotiators now setting a firm timer on the talks.
"We are clear that we are nearing the point where Iran's escalation of its nuclear program will have completely hollowed out the JCPOA," read a joint statement by France, Britain, and Germany on Tuesday. “That means we have weeks, not months, to conclude a deal before the JCPOA's core non-proliferation benefits are lost.”
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