On January 15, the Iranian regime carried out a failed ballistic missile test under the pretext of the “Payam” satellite launch announcing that the supposed satellite vehicle didn’t reach the Earth’s orbit. Several countries across the world, including France, condemned this missile launch as a violation of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231.
This embarrassment for the regime came after the mullahs’ President Hassan Rouhani made a speech prior to the test claiming an “imminent” satellite launch by the regime.
“We are a country that in a few days, God willing, will launch two satellites into space. The Payam satellite, built by our own university, will soon be sent to space by an indigenous satellite launch vehicle. This satellite will orbit us six times a day,” Rouhani claimed.
Following these claims, the French Foreign Ministry responded by saying the Iranian regime must immediately halt missile activities related to nuclear weapons, including missile test launches.
According to the information obtained by the Iranian Resistance, the mullahs’ regime is continuing with its missile activities and ballistic missile test under the disguise of research satellite launches.
The Iranian Resistance intelligence also indicates that the Payam satellite launch on January 15 and the ballistic missile test on December 1, 2018, were carried out following green lights provided by Iranian regime Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and a decision by the regime’s Supreme National Security Council.
All Shahab-3 and other missile launches, including Sejjil, Ghadr as well as the satellite launch vehicles – all capable of delivering nuclear payloads – are only carried out after Khamenei himself gives the green light.
In this regard, Hassan Firouzabadi, the Iranian regime’s former chief of staff of armed forces, acknowledged on November 12, 2016 that “The missiles are launched after [Khamenei] provides the permission. If he does not, the test will not go through. Even the very timing of the launch are specified by Khamenei.”
The mullahs satellite launch vehicle tests are carried out by the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) Air & Space Force. These missiles are constructed by the IRGC’s Air & Space Organization experts. Furthermore, the Iranian regime uses non-military names to claim that these are civilian test launches for scientific and research purpose.
The IRGC’s Air & Space Organization was established to expand the Iranian regime’s missile activities as one of Tehran’s main strategic objectives to maintain the mullahs rule and continue warmongering across the region and beyond.
On November 22, 2011, the IRGC Brigadier General Hassan Tehrani Moghadam, the most prominent IRGC missile expert, died after a explosion occurred during the final test launch of a ballistic missile designed for a satellite delivery vehicle. The test was carried out in an IRGC base named “Modarres” located southeast of Tehran. The explosion resulted from a short circuit in the missiles warhead electric system.
Iranians living east of Tehran heard the massive explosion and even pieces of the base were projected many kilometers away. In addition to Tehrani Moghadam, the IRGC also lost a number of its highest-ranking experts.
It is crystal clear that the Iranian regime’s is carrying out missile test launches in violation of the Security Council resolutions despite global condemnations and its consequences. This indicates the regime’s desperate need for such measures to cloak the truth of its very weak and crisis-riddled status quo.