Iran: US, Europe interfering in our internal affairs

Iran’s Foreign Ministry on Friday blasted the United States and its European allies after they condemned Iran’s satellite launch earlier this week, saying their stance amounted to “interference” in the Islamic Republic’s internal affairs.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Abbas Mousavi said, according to the Xinhua news agency, that the “successful” launch of the Noor 1 satellite into orbit is a source of pride for Iranians, stressing that scientific and technological advances, especially in the field of aerospace, are the Iranian nation’s right.

Iran’s Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) on Wednesday announced that the launch of the satellite had been successful.

Two US Defense Department officials later said that the US assessed that the launch was indeed a success.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called for Iran to be held accountable for the launch of the satellite, adding he thinks the action violated a United Nations Security Council resolution.

France and Germany also criticized Iran’s launch of a military satellite into space, calling Iran’s move “unacceptable.”

US officials say that Iran’s satellite launches defy UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

Resolution 2231 enshrined Iran’s 2015 nuclear deal with Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States and calls on Iran to refrain for up to eight years from work on ballistic missiles designed to deliver nuclear weapons.

Wednesday’s launch is not the first time that Iran has attempted to launch a satellite but would be the first time that it has been successful.

A year ago, Iran attempted to launch a satellite into space but failed when the satellite failed to reach orbit.

It made a similar attempt this past February but was again unsuccessful.

(Arutz Sheva’s North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Arutz Sheva articles, however, is Israeli time.)