TEHRAN – March 8 (ONLINE) The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has launched a second satellite into space, state media reported, as world powers awaited Tehran’s decision in negotiations over the country’s tattered nuclear deal.
State television identified the launch on Tuesday as taking place in its northeastern Shahroud Desert, without specifying when.
It came as Iran’s top diplomat at the months-long talks suddenly flew home late on Monday for consultations, a sign of the growing pressure on Tehran as the negotiations appear to be nearing their end on reviving the accord.
IRGC said the Noor-2 satellite reached a low orbit of 500km (310 miles) above the Earth’s surface on the Ghased satellite carrier, state-run Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported. It described the Ghased as a three-phase, mixed-fuel satellite carrier.
IRGC did not immediately release photos or video of the launch. Putting the second satellite in space would be a major advance for Iran’s military.
US officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment and an American-maintained catalogue of space objects did not note a new Iranian launch this month. The launch comes days after satellite pictures suggested Iran’s civilian programme suffered another failed launch.
Noor means “light” in Persian. IRGC had launched its first Noor satellite in 2020, revealing to the world it ran its own space programme.
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