EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell at a press conference in Tehran on June 25. Photo: Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images
According to Iranian state television reports, Iran launched a solid-fueled rocket equipped with a satellite carrier on Sunday despite nuclear talks being set to resume between Iran and the U.S., per AP.
Why it matters: EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell announced Saturday the U.S. and Iran would resume indirect negotiations around reviving the 2015 nuclear deal in the coming days, ending a deep, months-long stalemate in discussions.
The big picture: It is unclear when the rocket was launched, though state media reported that it was successful, per AP.
- Iranian Defense Ministry spokesperson Ahmad Hosseini said the satellite carrier, which can gather information in low-Earth orbit, would be essential to promoting Iran's space industry, according to the state-run IRNA news agency, per AP.
- Iran maintains that its rocket and satellite launches don't have a military purpose, though the U.S. believes they violate a United Nations Security Council resolution that calls for Iran to desist from any activities involving ballistic missile that could deliver nuclear weapons.