Iran is claiming that it has successfully launched an imaging satellite into space. The state-run IRNA news agency, quoting the country’s communication minister, says the Noor-3 satellite had been put in orbit 450 kilometers, or 280 miles, above the Earth’s surface. There was no immediate acknowledgment from Western officials of the launch or of the satellite being put into orbit. Iran has had a series of failed launches in recent years. The United States has alleged that Iran’s satellite launches defy a U.N. Security Council resolution and has called on Tehran to undertake no activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons.
