France, Germany, UK Condemn Iran's Soraya Satellite Launch

In a joint statement released on Friday, France, Germany, and the United Kingdom voiced their condemnation of Iran's recent launch of the Soraya satellite.

Launched with the aid of the Ghaem-100 Space Launch Vehicle (SLV), the deployment has raised concerns among the three European nations regarding the potential advancement of Iran's long-range ballistic missile capabilities.

The statement expressed apprehension over the technology employed in the SLV, which could potentially enable Tehran to launch weapons over extended distances.

"We remain committed to taking every diplomatic step to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and to hold Iran to account for its destabilizing activity in the region and internationally," the statement said.

The Soraya satellite, developed by the Iranian Space Research Center, was sent into a 750 km Low Earth orbit on January 20th. The launch was overseen by the aerospace division of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a branch of the Iranian military.

Iran has defended the satellite launch, with the IRGC claiming that it will serve both scientific and defense purposes, enhancing Iran's capabilities in space exploration and technology. However, the launch has faced criticism from the United States and other Western nations.

Accusations have been leveled against Iran saying that its satellite and rocket programs are veiled attempts to advance ballistic missile technology capable of carrying nuclear payloads. The US has imposed sanctions targeting Iran's aerospace sector, citing violations of a UN Security Council resolution urging Iran to refrain from ballistic missile-related activities.

Since 2018, Iran has been subject to severe US sanctions following the US withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear agreement, which aimed to limit Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Iran has since reduced its compliance with the agreement, resuming uranium enrichment at higher levels.

It has since been placed under further sanctions following the provision of drones to Russia in its war on Ukraine and the regime's brutal crackdowns on protesters since 2022's uprising.