Iran's Military Satellite Launch, Pentagon Response, Trump Regime Threats

by Stephen Lendman (stephenlendman.org - Home - Stephen Lendman)

On Wednesday, Iran's IRGC launched a military satellite into orbit 265 miles in space above planet earth.

IRGC commander General Hossein Salami said the "successful launch of the satellite promoted new dimensions of the defense power of the Islamic Republic of Iran." 

Calling the launch into earth orbit a "strategic achievement," Salami added that Iran now is one of the few nations with advanced space technology, giving its military enhanced intelligence capabilities.

IRGC Aerospace Force commander General Ali Hajizadeh said Wednesday's launch was achieved with liquid and solid fuel, an advanced technology "only superpowers" had until now.

Shortly after the launch, Fox News quoted an unnamed Pentagon source saying the following:

"US intelligence has not detected any new satellites orbiting earth, indicating Iran's satellite launch likely a failure."

Hours later, the Pentagon backtracked from this assessment, Joint Chiefs vice chairman General John Hyten, saying:

Iran's rocket "went a long way. It takes a little while to characterize what goes off into space," adding:

An updated Pentagon assessment of the launch will be announced in a day or two, suggesting the launch succeeded.

According to Space.com, "US tracking data indicate" that Iran's military satellite successfully reached earth orbit.

Astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell issued the following statement about Iran's military satellite launch in largely technical language, saying:

"US has issued a TLE (two-line element) for a new launch 2020-024A, object 45529 in a 426 x 444 km x 59.8 deg orbit." 

"Ground track is consistent with a launch from Shahroud at 0400 UTC plus or minus 2 minutes," adding:

"I consider that this confirms that the Iranian satellite successfully reached orbit."

Iran earlier experienced satellite launch failures, the most recent one in February. A Simorgh rocket carrying a communications satellite failed to reach orbit.

Another failure occurred in January. Last August, an attempted space launch rocket exploded on the launch pad. Wednesday's successful launch suggests earlier problems were resolved.

The US falsely considers Iran's military and space program strategic threats — ignoring the Islamic Republic's aim for regional peace, stability, and mutual cooperation with other nations, at war with none, threatening none, polar opposite how the US, NATO and Israel operate.

Despite US sanctions war and medical terrorism on Iran, its authorities continue countering Washington's hostile actions successfully — including in combatting COVID-19 outbreaks.

On Wednesday, Press TV reported that "infections drop(ped) by 53 percent in the past 18 days," deaths "reduced by 30 percent." The downward trend is encouraging. 

Despite enormous obstacles because of US state terror, Iran at this stage appears more successful in containing COVID-19 outbreaks than the US with the world' highest number of outbreaks and deaths, far more than any other country.

According to Iran's health ministry spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour, "(w)e are in the phase of managing the disease and the trend of controlling COVID-19 disease has been maintained."

On Wednesday, Russian Academy of Sciences Oriental Studies Institute's senior fellow Irina Fedorova hailed Iran's successful military satellite launch, saying its authorities "can now observe the world from space," adding:

Despite enormous challenges from US "maximum pressure," its sanctions war, other hostile actions, and the novel coronavirus, Iran "finds ways to advance large-scale scientific and military projects."

Editor-in-chief Aleksey Leonkov of Russia's Arsenal Otechestva, a military and weapons technology publication, "Iran is working to solve its defense issues," adding: 

"It's trying to protect itself from the existing military technologies that the not-so-well-wishing countries possess."

"Following in North Korea's footsteps, Iran has now become a member of the space club."

Yet the Trump regime, Congress, and anti-Iran US media consistently turn truth on its head, falsely claiming Iran space technology is "more evidence proving (it's) an 'evil state' because the satellite has military applications," according to Leonkov.

Hostile US actions against Iran are well-documented, including its longstanding propaganda war.

On Wednesday, State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus recited a litany of bald-faced Big Lies about Iran, saying:

The Islamic Republic "has long used its naval forces to terrorize the international maritime community (sic)."

Polar opposite is true. The above accusation applies to the US, not Tehran.

Ortagus: During JCPOA negotiations in 2015 "and after its adoption, the US navy recorded 22 incidents of unsafe and unprofessional conduct by the IRGC Navy" — another Big Lie.

So was falsely saying Iran "threat(ens) international peace and security" — what's clearly true about US forever wars against invented enemies. No real ones exist.

Iranian naval vessels provide security for its offshore Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, and Gulf of Oman waters — its IRGC navy and other forces threatening no one.

The US threatens humanity at home and abroad, well-documented by its hostile actions.

On Wednesday, Pompeo falsely blamed China for spreading COVID-19 outbreaks, citing no evidence because none exists.

He lied claiming Beijing "is exploiting the world's focus on COVID-19 by continuing its provocative behavior (sic)."

He falsely called the US "the most generous nation on the planet."

He reinvented reality, calling Iran's Wednesday satellite launch a hostile act by a US "designated terrorists" — referring to the IRGC, Tehran's military.

The State Department falsely calls it a foreign terrorist organization, a statement defying reality last April saying:

The IRGC "regularly threatens freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf while its Aerospace Force directs the country's ballistic missile program in defiance of Security Council resolutions (sic)," adding:

"Since 1979, Iran has made it a policy of state to actively direct, facilitate, and carry out terrorist activity globally (sic)" – a US, NATO, Israeli specialty, polar opposite how the Islamic Republic operates.

Claiming Iran's ballistic missile development and space program threaten regional security is polar opposite reality.

Pompeo also falsely accused Iran of "spreading (novel coronavirus) disinformation" and waging a "global terror campaign (sic)."

Time and again, the US accuses other countries for its own failings, wrongdoing and high crimes.

Iran is at peace with its neighbors and other nations worldwide, polar opposite how the US operates — perpetually at war, abhorrent of peace and stability.

The US illegally imposed sanctions on 22 nations, including Russia (as well as Crimea), China, Iran, Syria, Venezuela, North Korea, Cuba, Nicaragua, Belarus, Sudan, Libya, Iraq, Lebanon, Myanmar, Somalia, Yemen, Zimbabwe, and others.

Separately, Pompeo signaled Trump regime approval for illegal Israeli annexation of settlements and Jordan Valley territory belonging to Palestinians that's likely coming in the weeks ahead.

It's an issue to be addressed in future articles as new developments occur.

VISIT MY WEBSITE: stephenlendman.org (Home - Stephen Lendman). Contact at lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net.

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