BOISE, Idaho – U.S. Senator Jim Risch (R-Idaho), chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, today released the following statement in response to last week’s launch of a military satellite by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC):
“The Iranian regime continues to prioritize its malign activity over the needs of the Iranian people. In the midst of the COVID-19 outbreak and the regime’s pursuit of sanctions relief, Tehran has increased the IRGC budget and diverted limited resources to a satellite launch. Iran’s first military satellite launch refutes previous claims of a peaceful, civilian space program and demonstrates advanced missile technology. This defiant act showcases a potential path to an intercontinental ballistic missile and highlights the weaknesses of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. Iran’s space program presents a threat to civilized nations and increases our need for robust national missile defense and a modernized nuclear deterrent to protect the American people and our allies.”
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