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Iran Vows New Satellite Launch Despite US, French Opposition

Earlier in January, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned that if Iran went ahead with carrying out space launches in the coming months, the country would face more economic and diplomatic pressure.
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According to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Tehran will be ready for a new satellite launch just in a few months.

"We achieved good results during the launch, though, of course, there were some partial failures. However, overall this is a positive and a very important achievement. We have achieved good results both in launches and satellite production. This means that Iran has now embarked on this path, and the existing minor problems will be eliminated within a few months," the president said in a statement on the official website.

The statements come just two days after an unsuccessful launch of the domestically-produced Payam satellite that failed to reach orbit due to problems in the third stage.

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While commenting on the issue, the French foreign ministry echoed the US position on the matter and condemned the launch, claiming that the "Iranian ballistic programme is a source of concern for the international community and France".

Previously, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, and France issued a joint statement condemning the launches carried out by Tehran, claiming that the Islamic Republic violated a UN Security Council resolution, regulating the Iranian nuclear programme.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has dismissed the claims saying that the country's space launches and missile tests did not violate the UN resolution.

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