Tehran (AFP)
Iran's defense minister on Wednesday refuted Washington's claims that the Islamic Republic's space program had a military dimension, just days after Tehran's new attempt to launch a satellite.
"The issue of satellite launch equipment and satellites is a civil matter," said Defense Minister Amir Hatami, quoted by the official agency Irna.
"We can use a satellite for defensive purposes, but the space launcher is a file that is not at all defensive, and it is an absolute and defined right of the Iranian nation," he added.
"There is no ban in the world" against this space program, according to the minister.
Iran launched a new scientific observation satellite, Zafar, on Sunday, but failed to put it into orbit.
American Foreign Minister Mike Pompeo on Tuesday accused Iran of wanting to boost its ballistic missile skills through the launch of satellites.
"The technologies used to put satellites into orbit are practically identical and interchangeable" with those used for "intercontinental ballistic missiles," he said.
But Hatami said Iran will continue its space program, planning to launch a new version of the Zafar satellite early next year.
"The Zafar 2, given its weight, will be launched by the Simorgh launcher," said the minister, referring to the rocket used for the launch last Sunday.
"However, we will do research on the launcher and the satellites and we will certainly continue this research until we are stable in the field," he added.
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