News Excerpt: 

Iran has successfully launched its Soraya satellite.

More about the launch of Satellite:

• The Soraya satellite of the Iranian Space Organisation was successfully launched with the Qaem 100 satellite carrier (a three-stage solid-fuel rocket built by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps).
• This is the first time that Iran has successfully placed a satellite in orbits higher than 500 kilometres (310 miles).
• Iran's Telecommunications Minister said that the satellite weighing 50 kilogrammes was placed in an orbit 750 kilometres above Earth.

Concerns related to the Satellite launch by Iran:

• The U.S. intelligence community’s 2023 worldwide threat assessment said the development of satellite launch vehicles “shortens the timeline” for Iran to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile because it uses similar technology [Intercontinental ballistic missiles can be used to deliver nuclear weapons]. 
  • Iran denies the above concerns of the US saying that it has no ambition of developing nuclear weapons capability and that its rocket launches are only for civil or defence purposes.
• The involvement of the Guard in the laches, as well as it being able to launch the rocket from a mobile launcher, raise concerns for the West.
• The Guard, which answers only to Iran’s supreme leader Khamenei, revealed its space program back in 2020.