Iran launched a satellite-carrying rocket into space with three items on board on Thursday, according to Deutsche Welle, however, it's unclear if any of the objects made it into orbit around the Earth. The launch occurs at a time when Tehran and international powers are meeting in Vienna to discuss a historic 2015 deal aimed at limiting Iran's nuclear programme.
According to DW, Defense Ministry spokesman Ahmad Hosseini said on state television that the satellite-carrying Simorgh rocket "successfully launched three items into space." "For the first time, three devices were launched at the same time to a distance of 470 kilometres (292 miles) at a speed of 7,350 metres per second," he added.
Tehran had previously attempted to launch rockets but failed. The United States has long been a critic of Iran's rocket launches. Donald Trump negotiated a deal with Iran in 2015 that eased sanctions in exchange for control of the country's nuclear programme. The Trump administration, on the other hand, reinstated all of the sanctions that had been lifted under the JCPOA.
The US is now attempting to negotiate an agreement with Iran, and the rocket launch is simply heightening tensions in the midst of the Vienna talks.
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