Iran’s Revolutionary Guard says it has launched military satellite amid US tensions

There was no immediate independent confirmation of the launch of the satellite, which the Guard called “Noor”, or light.

Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard on Wednesday said it launched a military satellite into orbit amid wider tensions with the US, a successful launch after months of failures.

A file handout picture released by Iran's Defence Ministry on February 9, 2020, shows the Zafar rocket, Persian for Victory, during the launch at the Imam Khomeini Spaceport, Semnan province. (AFP File Photo)

There was no immediate independent confirmation of the launch of the satellite, which the Guard called “Noor”, or light.

The Guard on its official said the satellite successfully reached an orbit of 425 kilometers (264 miles) above the Earth’s surface.

The two-stage satellite launch took off from Iran’s Central Desert, the Guard said, without elaborating.

The launch comes amid tensions between Tehran and Washington over its collapsing nuclear deal and after a US drone strike killed Guard General Qassem Soleimani in January.