Tehran claims to be joining the space race but the west has its suspicions

The apparently successful launch of an Iranian satellite looks very different from Washington than it does from Tehran.

For the Iranian government it is an important milestone along the road to reclaiming Persia's ancient claim to major power status, which it feels the jealous west is trying to deny it.

It is also enormously significant in Iranian internal politics. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad got elected promising economic benefits for the common man and modernisation. He has made a complete mess of the first part of that mission. Delivering the second is important for his prospects of re-election in June, in the eyes of both the average voter and – even more importantly, given the controlled nature of Iranian democracy – the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

www.guardian.co.uk...

A space capable Iran? Could this have something to do with this - Spy satellites turn their gaze onto each other www.newscientist.com... ??

reply to post by Grock


Someone is helping them. Iranians have the brains to work out how to build rockets like these but they have been under an embargo for years and they don't have the specialist materials to make things like that without a bit of help from a silent partner.

The North Koreans have had the bomb for many years yet they still don't have ballistic missiles.

You know Israel is going to make a meal of this so why should Iran disclose their ballistic missile technology and expose themselves to attack unless they already have the A bomb.

It is quite possible they already have these bombs since you don't have to explode it to know it works. Exploding an A bomb is only used to announce your arrival at the nuclear club,

I surmise that Iran will test a bomb shortly and suddenly become a respected member of the world community and Israel will become nicey nicey.

[edit on 022828p://pm2812 by masonwatcher]