Washington 0
25 April 2020

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo asserted that “this week’s launch of a military satellite by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, makes clear what we have said all along: Iran’s space program is neither peaceful nor entirely civilian”. He further argued that “this satellite launch vehicle and others launched before it incorporate technologies identical to, and interchangeable with, ballistic missiles, including longer-range systems such as intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). No country has ever pursued an ICBM capability except for the purpose of delivering nuclear weapons”. Pompeo also called on nations to “support extending the UN conventional arms embargo on Iran, which is set to expire this October” and urged “the European Union to sanction those individuals and entities working on Iran’s missile programs”. “When the Iranian people are suffering and dying from the coronavirus pandemic, it is regrettable to see the regime waste its resources and efforts on provocative military pursuits that do nothing to help the Iranian people”, Pompeo concluded.

Subscribe to Crisis Group’s Email Updates

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