Iran to continue space program despite U.S. warnings
"There is no international law that prohibits us from [continuing]," said Zarif.
By TAMAR URIEL-BEERIA Nour missile is test fired off Iran's first domestically made destroyer, Jamaran, on the southern shores of Iran in the Persian Gulf March 9, 2010(photo credit: REUTERS/EBRAHIM NOROOZI/IIPA)
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Jawad Zarif announced on Thursday morning that, despite US warnings, Iran would be continuing its space program. The program includes Space Launch Vehicles which have technology akin to that of a ballistic missile."There is no international law that prohibits us from [continuing]," said Zarif.This comes not long after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo advised Iran "to reconsider these provocative launches and cease all activities related to ballistic missiles in order to avoid deeper economic and diplomatic isolation."Pompeo had spoken soon after the US had suddenly withdrawn its 2000 troops from Syria, where they had presumably helped constrain Iran's military ambitions within Syria.According to Pompeo, past use of ballistic missiles in testing, as well as SLV launches, have destabilized the region. “The Iranian regime is the world’s foremost state sponsor of terror and has proliferated missiles and related technology to its proxies around the Middle East," he said. "The United States will not stand by and watch the Iranian regime’s destructive policies place international stability and security at risk."Tovah Lazaroff contributed to this report.
