Pompeo: Iran must be held accountable for military satellite launch

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Wednesday said Iran must be held accountable for its latest military satellite launch, which he says could have violated a United Nations resolution.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps hours earlier said it had successfully launched a multipurpose military satellite into orbit, marking a first for the paramilitary group.

The “Noor” satellite — whose name means “light” — is orbiting 425 km (264 miles) above the earth’s surface, according to state-run media.

“I think every nation has an obligation to go to the United Nations and evaluate whether this missile launch was consistent with that Security Council resolution,” Mr. Pompeo said during a press conference.

According to a 2015 UN resolution, Iran has been “called upon” to stop working on ballistic missiles that are made to deliver nuclear weapons as part of a deal with six global leaders. However, some nations have said the language of the charter does not apply to the latest launch, Reuters reported.

Despite Iran’s repeated claims that it is not developing nuclear warheads, the U.S. has maintained concerns that the long-range ballistic missile technology used to launch the satellites could be part of a longer-term effort to launch nuclear weapons.

Mr. Pompeo added that he does not think that the launch was “remotely” compliant under its UN agreement, “and I think Iran needs to be held accountable for what they have done.”