TEHRAN — Iran’s enemies, specially the United States, have suffered a big intelligence defeat after the recent successful launch of an Iranian satellite into orbit, says Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces Major General Mohammad Hossein Baqeri.

Speaking at a military gathering in Tehran on Saturday, Major General Baqeri said the IRGC’s success to launch a multipurpose satellite into the orbit is an outstanding example of smart planning with reliable scientific and technical backings, Tasnim reported.

The launch of the homegrown Noor satellite amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus shows that while the Iranian Armed Forces are playing a role in the battle with COVID-19, they have not neglected the strategy of boosting the country’s power, the general added.

Major General Baqeri also hailed the satellite launch as a prelude to a shift in the balance of power in favor of the Iranian nation.

The great and historical achievement of Iran marked a big “intelligence defeat and scandal” for the enemies of Iran, particularly for the terrorist regime of the United States, the commander noted.

The IRGC successfully placed the Islamic Republic’s first ever military satellite in its designated orbit on April 22, using a rocket which is also the country’s first three-stage launch vehicle to successfully deliver its load.

The IRGC fired the Noor-1 aboard Qased (messenger) satellite carrier during an operation that was staged in Dasht-e Kavir, Iran’s sprawling central desert, which was placed into the orbit 425 kilometers above Earth’s surface.

Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said last week that the satellite launch proves Iran is able to achieve a surge in production as well.

“Some people keep saying it’s impossible and we can’t, but we can,” Ayatollah Khamenei said in a video conference with seven active manufacturers from different parts of the country on the occasion of Labor Week.

“When we can launch a satellite into space with a speed of 7500 m/s, have put a satellite into orbit, and have made significant progress in the defense industry, then we can achieve a surge in production too,” he said, according to his official website.

The Leader explained, “The Iranian wisdom and thought that can build a satellite and set a goal of a 36,000-kilometer orbit for the next satellite, certainly enjoy the same spirit, innovation, and creativity needed to produce cars with a consumption of 5 liters/100 km and for production in other sectors.”

MH/PA