Western countries slam Iran’s satellite launch

The United States plans to raise Iran’s nuclear ambitions at talks in Germany on Wednesday in light of western countries' "acute concern" over its launch of a home-made satellite into orbit that a NATO official said means the Islamic Republic could hit Israel and Europe with missiles.

Meanwhile Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Olmert on Wednesday urged the international community to apply tougher sanctions against Tehran following its launch of a low Earth orbit satellite.

In Washington, the new administration of President Barack Obama that has said it is open to diplomatic engagement, said Iran's action would not advance stability in the Middle East region.

"Efforts to develop missile delivery capability, efforts to continue an illicit nuclear program, or threats that Iran makes towards Israel and its sponsorship of terror are of acute concern to this administration," said White House spokesman Robert Gibbs.

Gibbs said the Obama administration "will use all elements of our national power to deal with Iran and to help it be a responsible member of the international community."

Peace and brotherhood message

Iran sent its Omid (Hope) satellite into space on Monday evening carried by the home-built Safir-2 space rocket, local news agencies reported.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinajad Tuesday hailed the launch, declaring his country has "officially achieved a presence in space." But its timing also heightened concerns in the international community.

He said that the satellite carried a message of "peace and brotherhood" to the world.”

"We have a divine view of technology unlike the dominating powers of the world, which have Satanic views," he said.

Despite U.N. sanctions Tehran continues to defy calls to freeze its uranium enrichment.

The West suspects Iran of wanting enriched uranium to build a nuclear weapon, a charge Tehran denies claiming its nuclear work is for peaceful energy purposes.

We have a divine view of technology unlike the dominating powers of the world, which have Satanic views,

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmedinajad

Possible consequences

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also warned Iran that while "President Obama has signaled his intention to support tough and direct diplomacy with Iran," if Tehran does not abide by U.N. resolutions "there must be consequences."

As Clinton welcomed German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier for talks in Washington, she added that the United States and Germany must cooperate in getting Iran to comply with its international obligations.

Steinmeier called it a "worrying development" which showed "the technical achievements that Iran is obviously capable of and the threats."

"We have been trying for years to stop Iran from developing its own nuclear program and its own nuclear weapons. So far we have not succeeded," said Steinmeier, noting that joint efforts with Washington were even more urgent.

British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he discussed Iran when he met with Clinton earlier Tuesday.

President Obama has signaled his intention to support tough and direct diplomacy with Iran... if Tehran does not abide by U.N. resolutions,there must be consequences,

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton

In London, British Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell earlier said Iran's satellite launch just underscored and illustrated "our serious concerns about Iran's intentions" and that it "sends the wrong signal to the international community, which has already passed five successive U.N. Security Council resolutions on Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program."

The technology for launching satellites "is very similar to ballistic (missile) capabilities," said French foreign ministry spokesman Eric Chevallier. "We can't but link this to the very serious concerns about the development of military nuclear capability."

Possibility of striking Israel

A NATO officer Tuesday noted that if Iran's satellite launch is confirmed it would mean that Tehran has missiles capable of striking Israel and southeast Europe, but said it could take up to a week to verify whether Tehran's claim was true.

"It will take several days for all our countries to examine the information," the high-ranking officer said. "First we will verify whether it is really a satellite and at what altitude it is travelling at," noting its apparent "light weight” and “quite low altitude.”

As Iran's arch-foe in the Mideast, Israel sees Tehran's nuclear drive as a major threat, and on Tuesday the Israeli defense minister urged Washington not to exclude the option of military action against the Islamic Republic.

The launch "constitutes an additional reason for the international community to strengthen its sanctions against Iran," the Israeli defence ministry quoted Barak as saying Wednesday.

"The Iranian satellite launch constitutes a technological success for Tehran" which is boosting "its military potential in the intelligence sector."

In a speech he noted the need to "reach a strategic understanding with the United States on the essence of Iran's nuclear program and make sure that even if they choose a diplomatic track to halt it, the talks must be limited to a short time and then harsh sanctions and readiness to take action."

The Iranian satellite launch constitutes a technological success for Tehran

Ehud Barak, Israeli defence minister

Germany meeting

Clinton's talks with her European counterparts come before top envoys from the United States, Britain, Germany, France, China and Russia meet Wednesday in Germany for the first time since she took office on Jan. 22.

State Department acting spokesman Robert Wood said the permanent five members of the U.N. Security Council, plus Germany would take up the questions of Iran's nuclear program and ballistic missiles.

Russia and China have resisted U.S.-led efforts for even deeper sanctions on Iran.

In Moscow, the Russian foreign ministry said Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov vowed to boost bilateral ties in telephone talks, but did not elaborate.

U.S.-Russian ties plummeted under the previous U.S. administration of George W. Bush, which infuriated Moscow with its plans to deploy an anti-missile shield in eastern Europe.

The permanent five members of the U.N. Security Council, plus Germany would take up the questions of Iran's nuclear program and ballistic missiles,

State Department acting spokesman Robert Wood

Washington argues the shield will deter a ballistic missile threat from rogue states like Iran, but Moscow calls it a strategic threat to Russia.

U.S. officials say ideas raised at the talks in Germany will contribute to the review on Iran conducted by the administration, which wants to take a new tack on Iran from the Bush administration by engaging with leadership in Tehran.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has expressed skepticism about the chances of success for U.S. engagement with Iran.