Iran has announced it successfully launched the country's first military reconnaissance satellite after months of failures, a programme the United States alleges is a cover for missile development.

"The first satellite of the Islamic Republic of Iran has been successfully launched into orbit by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps [IRGC]," said the elite forces' official website on Wednesday.

It said the satellite - dubbed the Nour - was deployed from the Qassed two-stage launcher from the Markazi desert, a vast expanse in Iran's central plateau.

The satellite "orbited the Earth at 425km [264 miles]", said the website. "This action will be a great success and a new development in the field of space for Islamic Iran."

The IRGC called it the first military satellite ever launched by Tehran. It used a Ghased, or "Messenger", satellite carrier to put the device into space, a previously unheard-of system.

As the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic and historically low oil prices, the missile launch may signal a new willingness to take risks by Iran.

"This raises a lot of red flags," said Fabian Hinz, a researcher at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California.

"Now that you have the [US] maximum pressure campaign, Iran doesn't have that much to lose any more."

Hinz said, based on state media images, the launch appeared to have happened at a previously unnamed IRGC base near Shahroud, Iran, some 330km (205 miles) northeast of Tehran. The base is in Semnan province, which hosts the Imam Khomeini Spaceport, from which Iran's civilian space programme operates.

Al Jazeera's Zein Basravi, reporting from the capital Tehran, said it was the first time the IRGC took credit for the launch of a military satellite.

"As a military satellite, what we're likely to see is this to be used specifically for intelligence gathering and secure communications for the navigation of forces on land and sea," he said.

Tehran has had several failed satellite launches in recent months. The last one came in February when Iran failed to put its Zafar 1 communications satellite into orbit.

That failure came after two failed launches of the Payam and Doosti satellites last year, as well as a launchpad rocket explosion in August. A fire at the Imam Khomeini Space Center in February 2019 also killed three researchers, the authorities said at the time.

The rocket explosion in August drew the attention of US President Donald Trump, who later tweeted what appeared to be a classified surveillance image of the launch failure.

The successive failures raised suspicion of outside interference in Iran's programme, something Trump himself hinted at by saying the US "was not involved in the catastrophic accident".

Arch-foes Iran and the US have appeared to be on the brink of an all-out confrontation twice in the past year.

Long-standing acrimony between Tehran and Washington was exacerbated in 2018 when Trump unilaterally withdrew from a deal that froze Iran's nuclear programme, and issued new demands that Tehran curtail its development of ballistic missiles.

Washington has also raised concerns in the past about Tehran's satellite programme, saying the launch of a carrier rocket in January 2019 amounted to a violation of limits on its ballistic missiles.

Iran maintains it has no intention of acquiring nuclear weapons, and says its aerospace activities are peaceful and comply with a United Nations Security Council resolution.

Over the past 10 years, Iran has sent several short-lived satellites into orbit, and in 2013 it launched a monkey into space.

Wednesday's launch comes amid tensions between Tehran and Washington over its collapsing nuclear deal and after a US drone attack in Iraq killed IRGC General Qassem Soleimani in January.

Wednesday also marks the 41st anniversary of the founding of the IRGC by Iran's late leader, Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. An image of the rocket that carried the satellite showed it bore a Quranic verse on overcoming adversaries.

The IRGC, which operates its own military infrastructure in parallel to Iran's regular armed forces, is a hardline force answerable only to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

It was not immediately clear if Iran's civilian government knew the launch was coming. President Hassan Rouhani gave nearly a 40-minute speech on Wednesday before his cabinet that included no mention of the launch.

ignis:
For what?

Nbote:
Dis ones have sworn to build up their military capabilities whether America likes it or not

Righteousness89:
Iran Leaders seem to be more interested in Power tussle than on its Citizenry!

This has little or no effects on the Country

Flyingngel:
In many years ahead, America will have so many countries to contend with such that unnecessary sanction will be the last part though the effect will not be that much.
America shld start now to practice sustained negotiations cos they will need it more in years to come.

basilico:
The Yankees will shoot down that satellite down

basilico:
The Yankees will shoot down that satellite down

Omotaday:
Iran no dey gree. The money they should have used to cater for their citizens.

I don’t blame them to many enemies around. Saudi, Israel, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, US, Jordan.

Mightymanna:
In other news Trump orders US Navy to sink Iranian gunboats, I blamed Iran for being geographically located close to US Warships.

dermmy:



@ the bolded Iran has always catered for its citizens from the beginning. In the 50's Mossadegh expropriated the oil industry that was being exploited by British and American oil companies and gave it back to the people he did that because of the love he had for the Iranians but it's a pity that America and Britain had to unseat him in a coup and replaced him with a dictator that looted the country dry.

America hasn't forgiven them since they took the country back from U.S exploitation in 1979 revolution. That is why uncle Sam is still waging economic warfare on the country. Don't swallow western propaganda every nation has the right to defend itself from aggression. It is western sanction that is making life difficult for ordinary Iranians and they won't give up their military programme for the removal of western sanctions it's suicidal.

The military programme is the only thing deterring America from invading.

Whyem15:
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The yankees don't have the monopoly of anti satellite missiles and they have lots of sattelites to lose than Iran's single one.
Iran should do quick and launch more to concentrate on the most aggressive countries in the world.

Mightymanna:
In other news Trump orders US Navy to sink Iranian gunboats, I blamed Iran for being geographically located close to US Warships.

dermmy:


Whenever Israel does things like this people would shout. Israelis are God's people, God bless Israel this and that but if Iran does the same thing it becomes a problem. As long as America continues its hostility towards Iran the country would feel compelled to defend herself.

Iran sees America and its western thugs as threat and a nuclear armed foe like Israel in the region will only make the country to go on the defensive. Iran is not out there to bully any country project like this has kept America and other hostile actors from invading the Islamic republic. They will continue to advance their military programme to defend themselves.

Elpacino481:
You blame Iran for being in their Land? Are you alright, please check your Brain. And I bet you the US Navy will "Shoot down" no shit boats. Its suicidal and they know it. Let America deal with their Deads from Coronavirus.

Mightymanna:
In other news Trump orders US Navy to sink Iranian gunboats, I blamed Iran for being geographically located close to US Warships.

Everrest9:
So it's naw US dead. Coronavirus is affecting every country and it wasn't originated from them.

Elpacino481:
Yes it is affecting every country but US has the highest casualties and counting. Are you aware over 2000 people died of the virus yesterday in the US?

basilico:


How many would have died yester if there was no wuhan virus?