BREAKING News Out Of IRAN February 17, 2019 I
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February 17, 2019
Iran Confirms Failure Of Second Satellite Launch
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has confirmed in an interview with NBC News that Tehran’s bid to send a satellite into space failed in early February, the second such mishap within two months.
Zarif on February 15 said the reasons for the failure were not yet clear, but he suggested the authorities will investigate possible sabotage by the United States after a report in The New York Times published on February 13.
Citing current and former U.S. administration officials, the newspaper reported that the White House had accelerated a secret U.S. program to sabotage Iran’s missiles and rockets.
Zarif said Iran had been investigating the causes of the failures but that it was now “looking into the specifics” because of the article.
“It’s quite possible. We don’t know yet,” he said of possible sabotage. “We need to look into it very carefully.”
A representative for the U.S. National Security Council did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Tehran had previously acknowledged the failure of the first launch in January, with Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi telling state TV that the rocket carrying the satellite failed to reach the “necessary speed” in the third stage of launch.
The United States has condemned the launch attempts, warning that Washington “will not stand for Iran’s blatant disregard for international norms.”
The United States alleged that Iran’s satellite program uses technologies “that are virtually identical and interchangeable with those used in ballistic missiles” in defiance of UN resolutions against any activity related to delivering nuclear weapons.
https://rightwingtribune.com/2019/02/17/iran-news-breaking/