International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, 18 Aug 2008

According to US National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe on Sunday, Washington is worried about Tehran’s declaration that it has successfully test launched a rocket that is able to carry a satellite into outer space.

The launch is raising eyebrows concerning Iran’s motives, said Johndroe. The type of rocket Iran used on Sunday could also be used as an intercontinental ballistic missile containing heavy conventional and even nonconventional payloads.

The mock-launch also broke a pledge Iran previously gave to the UN Security Council, added Johndroe.

According to Israel Radio, Israeli security officials said that although Israel does not see a reason to be terrified over the successful test-launch, it did show that Iran was improving its missile capabilities.

"Whoever can launch a satellite to space can also launch heavy payloads to very far distances," said an anonymous source. But Europe should take Iran’s announcement more seriously than Israel, which has been in target range of Iran’s ballistic missiles before Sunday, noted the source.

However, Kadima MK Prof. Yitzhak Ben-Yisrael, a previous director of Israel’s Space Agency, said that Iran has a long ways to go before launching a satellite into orbit, and was primarily out to frighten Israel with its announcement. "If Iran were to announce it had successfully launched a satellite into space, this claim could be verified within a day or two," Ben-Yisrael told The Jerusalem Post.

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