Tehran 0
22 April 2020

Iran’s IRGC launched Nour-1, a “multi-purpose satellite”. IRGC Commander Hossein Salami asserted that “today, we can see the world from space and this means expansion of the strategic intelligence and information of IRGC’s powerful defence force”. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asserted that “the Iranians have consistently said that these missile programs were disconnected from their military… today’s launch proves what we’ve been saying all along here in the U.S.: the IRGC, a designated terrorist organisation, launched a missile today”. Pompeo went on to say that “every nation has an obligation to go to the UN and evaluate whether this missile launch was consistent with… Security Council resolution [2231]. I don’t think it remotely is, and I think Iran needs to be held accountable for what they’ve done”. Israel condemned the launch and said it was “just a façade for Iran’s continues [sic] development of advanced missile technology”. Contending that Iran had carried out “a breach both of Security Council’s resolution 2231, and Iran’s previous commitments to the international community”, a diplomatic spokesperson urged “the international community to condemn this latest launch, and impose further sanctions on the Iranian regime… in order to deter it from continuing such dangerous and opposing activity”.

Subscribe to Crisis Group’s Email Updates

Receive the best source of conflict analysis right in your inbox.