U.S. Rebukes Iran for Rocket Launch into Space

According to a report on June 26th, Iran’s state television said on Sunday that Tehran had launched a solid-fuel rocket into space, drawing rebukes from Washington.

As reported, it is unclear when and where the rocket was launched, but the announcement came after satellite photos showed preparations at the Imam Khomeini Spaceport in Iran’s Semnan province, a place where Iran often tries to send satellites into orbit.
The launch reportedly came a day after European Union High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell traveled to Tehran to push for the restart of negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, which have been stalled for months.

On Saturday, Borrell said talks on the nuclear deal would resume in the coming days in an unnamed Persian Gulf country, meanwhile, as Iranian media reported Qatar was likely to host the talks.

It is reported Tehran’s rocket launches have raised alarm in Washington amid the unraveling of the nuclear deal. The U.S. has warned the rocket launches violated the U.N. Security Council resolution that calls on Iran to refrain from any activities related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons.