Iranian Satellite Leads to Western Alarm

Iranians attend a rally commemorating the 30th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the U.S.-backed late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, at Azadi Square in Tehran, Iran, Feb. 10. A model of Iran’s satellite carrier “Safir-2,” translated in English as “Ambassador-2,” is seen in front of the Azadi (Freedom) tower. / AP-Yonhap

By Ali Sheikholeslami

The Iran Space Agency, a subsidiary of the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, was created in 2003, and in 2005, the Russians sent Iran's first satellite into space. Meanwhile, the launch was overshadowed by President Ahmadinejad's remark that ``Israel must be wiped off the map."

Iran launched its first domestically-developed satellite, Omid, using a homemade rocket, Safir-2, on Feb. 2. The package, Ambassador of Hope, endorsed Iran as a member of the elite space club, only the second in the Middle East after Israel. Iran is also celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution.

Iran's missile development began during its war with Iraq in the 1980s. Shahab-1 had a range of 200 miles, Shahab-2 of up to 300 miles, and their recent, more sophisticated and powerful successor, Shahab-3, is believed capable of reaching targets as far as 1,300 miles away.

Putting the two together and mixing them with Iran's nuclear ambitions, the roots of western concerns become obvious. Iran insists that its attempts to enrich uranium are purely for peaceful, civilian power generation and believes it has an ``unalienable right" to nuclear energy as a signatory of the United Nations' Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

A White House spokesman voiced discomfort, remarking that ``efforts to develop missile-delivery capability, efforts that continue on an illicit nuclear program, or threats that Iran makes toward Israel, and its sponsorship of terror are of acute concern to this administration."

France also condemned Iran over its ballistic capabilities, which could be interpreted as being aimed at developing intercontinental nuclear weapons, while Israel urged the international community to adopt a tougher line of sanctions against the country.

But Iran says Omid, which orbits Earth 15 times daily, is developed for research purposes, such as telecommunications and crisis forecasting.

The sheer symbolism and Iranian know-how are significant.

Iran is surrounded by the nuclear powers of Russia, India, Pakistan and Israel. It is plausible that by revealing what it can do, Iran is trying to build up a powerful image and it's true that in modern history it has never been an aggressor, but with a 30-year-old bag full of American and Israeli threats, Iran feels it is vital to show it would retaliate if the need arose.

The timing will be a booster for Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the upcoming presidential elections in June, another attempt to make up for his economic failures.

But it would be foolish to assume this is only Ahmadinejad's game. Policies of such importance are believed to be dictated by the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khomenei. After all, an Ayatollah founded the Islamic Republic and his successor has the final word.

Ali Sheikholeslami is a London-based journalist. He can be reached ata.sheikh@runbox.com

[출처 : 코리아타임스]