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full screen The image from Iran’s Ministry of Defense claims to show the Simorgh rocket launching satellites into space. Photo: Iran’s Ministry of Defense/AP/TT
Iran claims to have successfully launched three new satellites into space. The launch must have taken place on Sunday, according to Iranian state media.
The satellites are the latest in Iran’s satellite program, which the West believes enables the further development of more advanced ballistic robots. The US has previously said that the satellite launches violate a UN Security Council resolution.
According to the state news agency Irna, the Simorgh rocket was used during the launch, which has several previous failed launches in its baggage.
The launch comes in light of rising tensions in the Middle East amid Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza and the Houthi movement’s repeated attacks on merchant ships in the Red Sea.