A Member of Parliament: The Error Rate of Satellite Launches in Iran is 60%

A member of the Islamic Consultative Assembly referred to Iran's two recent failures in launching a satellite carrier rocket into space, stating that the international error rate in this field is five percent, while in Iran it stands at 60 percent. Mohammad Javad Jamali Nobandegani said on Tuesday, February 17, to the news site "Rooidad 24": "In the past two months, we have had two unsuccessful satellite launches, which happen everywhere in the world... but the important issue here is the error rate." This member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission added: "One of the main reasons for this high percentage in Iran is due to our limited tests. For instance, if two out of four test rockets launched in Iran fail, that means a 50 percent error rate." On January 15, officials of the Islamic Republic announced that they had launched the carrier rocket for the "Payam" satellite into space, but the rocket did not reach the required speed, and the satellite ultimately failed to enter Earth's orbit. On February 6, American media reported that satellite images indicated Iran had attempted to send a satellite into space again, although it appeared to have been unsuccessful. In this context, Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iran's Foreign Minister, without providing evidence or details, suggested that the failure of the two Iranian satellite launches might be due to "sabotage" by the United States. He told NBC that the possibility of American "sabotage" in the launch of these two satellites "is entirely possible," but "we still do not know and need to investigate this carefully." Jamali Nobandegani also referenced Zarif's claim about "sabotage," stating that "we intend to pursue this sensitive issue in the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission and, if necessary, provide a report to the public." According to this member of parliament, "at one time, malware was sent to Fordow to explode our devices, and this action has a precedent." He referred to the uranium enrichment facilities at the Fordow site near Qom. Previously, the American newspaper "The New York Times" reported that the U.S. government had a secret project aimed at sabotaging and disrupting Iranian rockets and satellite carriers. Current and former U.S. officials mentioned to the newspaper efforts that had practically begun during George W. Bush's presidency, aimed at sending or providing defective parts and equipment to networks related to Iran's aerospace programs. According to The New York Times, this program was also pursued secretly during the Obama administration but intensified during Mike Pompeo's tenure as Secretary of State. American officials have not responded to The New York Times' claims, but Mike Pompeo tweeted following reports of Iran's "second unsuccessful launch" that "stricter restrictions against Iran's missile program must be re-implemented."