MOSCOW, April 23. /TASS/: The nuclear deal does not limit Iran’s right to explore space, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Thursday, commenting on the launch of Iran’s Noor military satellite.
According to her, the United States’ call on the UN Security Council to assess if Tehran’s move was in line with Resolution 2231 was "a dirty trick." "Neither the Resolution nor the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action limit Tehran’s right and ability to peacefully explore space and develop national space programs," Zakharova pointed out.
"Futile attempts by some Washington analysts to make it seem as if Iran’s space rockets are capable of carrying nuclear warheads are a manipulation that will be broken by reality," the Russian diplomat went on to say. "Iran does not have and we hope will never have nuclear weapons. Iran complies with the resolution and refrains from developing and testing ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear weapons," she noted.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has been thoroughly inspecting Iran since the nuclear deal was signed, she added. "The agency has not found nuclear weapons there," the Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman pointed out. "It seems, some in Washington don’t like the fact that despite unprecedented pressure and difficulties created by the US authorities, Tehran continues to fulfill its obligations," she said.
On April 22, Iran launched its first military satellite named Noor (or Light). According to Iran’s Mehr news agency, the satellite was placed in an orbit of 425 km.
