While Iran routinely only announces such launches after the fact, that activity coupled with an official saying a satellite would soon be handed over to the country’s Defence Ministry suggests the attempt will be coming soon.“The Imam Khomeini space launch centre is usually quite empty,” said Fabian Hinz, a researcher at the James Martin Center for Non-proliferation Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in Monterey, California.
The Nahid-1 is reportedly the telecommunication satellite, which authorities plan to have in orbit for two-and-a-half months. Nahid in Farsi means “Venus.”The semi-official Mehr news agency quoted Jahromi on Aug. 13 as saying that the Nahid-1 was ready to be delivered to Iran’s Defence Ministry, signalling a launch date for the satellite was likely imminent. Iran’s National Week of Government, during which Tehran often inaugurates new projects, begins Aug. 24.
Over the past decade, Iran has sent several short-lived satellites into orbit and in 2013 launched a monkey into space. Iran, which has long said it doesn’t seek nuclear weapons, maintains its satellite launches and rocket tests have no military component. Tehran also says they don’t violate the U.N. resolution, as it only “called upon” Tehran not to conduct such tests.
Or, as with the Iraqi wmds, this is just a building with a nice colour roof that proves absolutely nothing at all.