Secret Test, Public Mark
Defiance Before Sanctions: Iran Mocks the UN with Covert Missile Test
Analysis of satellite imagery reveals Iran's suspected missile test at Imam Khomeini Spaceport, defying international pressure amid rising tensions following recent conflict with Israel.
Satellite photos analyzed by The Associated Press suggest Iran likely conducted an undeclared missile test at its Imam Khomeini Spaceport last week. The suspected launch, occurring despite high tensions following the June war with Israel, signals Tehran's commitment to its weapons program.
Though Iran hasn't confirmed the test, a single Iranian lawmaker claimed the successful launch of a potential intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The activity coincides with Tehran repairing missile sites hit by Israel and ahead of the likely reimposition of UN sanctions.
Scorch Marks and Defiance
Satellite imagery from Planet Labs PBC showed significant scorch marks on the launch pad, consistent with a launch. Experts, like Fabian Hinz, believe the marks suggest a solid-fuel missile was fired.
Analyst Behnam Ben Taleblu views the test as an effort to "build back better" and a response to the war with Israel, which reinforced for Tehran "the importance of developing more ballistic missiles."
The lawmaker's claim of an ICBM test is unsubstantiated and contradicts the reported 2,000-kilometer range limit set by Supreme Leader Khamenei.
Despite the uncertainty over the missile type (possibly a Zuljanah space-launch vehicle), analysts suggest the covert test serves as a clear signal to the West: Iran will persist with its missile program despite international pressure.
“If, as is increasingly being alleged, the test was of a space-launch vehicle, it represents a desire by Tehran to potentially threaten targets outside the Middle East, like the European continent and even the American homeland,” said Behnam Ben Taleblu, an analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies.
Ultimately, without formal acknowledgment, the launch may be a deliberate signal to the West that Iran will persist with its missile program, regardless of escalating sanctions and pressure.
“The problem is that so much happens with Iran,” said Missile expert
Fabian Hinz of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. “It’s hard to say what is coincidental and what is a pattern.”