US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo
on Tuesday accused Iran of honing its ballistic missile skills through a
satellite launch and vowed to exert more pressure.
Iran, which is enemy number one
for President Donald Trump’s administration, said Sunday that it had
successfully launched a satellite but that it failed to reach orbit.
Pompeo said the technology
involved in a space launch was “virtually identical” to the knowhow
for a long-range ballistic missile.
“Each launch, whether failed
or not, further allows Iran to gain experience using such technologies that
could benefit its missile programs under the guise of a peaceful space
program,” Pompeo said in a statement.
“The United States will
continue to build support around the world to confront the Iranian regime’s
reckless ballistic missile activity, and we will continue to impose enormous
pressure on the regime to change its behavior,” he said.
Trump in 2018 slapped sweeping
sanctions on Iran in a bid to decrease its military clout as it withdrew the
United States from a nuclear accord negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama.
Tensions soared last month after
Trump ordered a drone strike that killed a top Iranian general, Qassem
Soleimani, as he visited Iraq, where Iranian-allied Shiite militias had fired
rockets on bases housing US troops.
11, February 2020
US accuses Iran of building missiles through satellite bid 0
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday accused Iran of honing its ballistic missile skills through a satellite launch and vowed to exert more pressure.
Iran, which is enemy number one for President Donald Trump’s administration, said Sunday that it had successfully launched a satellite but that it failed to reach orbit.
Pompeo said the technology involved in a space launch was “virtually identical” to the knowhow for a long-range ballistic missile.
“Each launch, whether failed or not, further allows Iran to gain experience using such technologies that could benefit its missile programs under the guise of a peaceful space program,” Pompeo said in a statement.
“The United States will continue to build support around the world to confront the Iranian regime’s reckless ballistic missile activity, and we will continue to impose enormous pressure on the regime to change its behavior,” he said.
Trump in 2018 slapped sweeping sanctions on Iran in a bid to decrease its military clout as it withdrew the United States from a nuclear accord negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama.
Tensions soared last month after Trump ordered a drone strike that killed a top Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani, as he visited Iraq, where Iranian-allied Shiite militias had fired rockets on bases housing US troops.
Source: AFP