TEHRAN – Brunei Ambassador to Tehran Sehri Saleh stated here on Wednesday that Iran’s satellite launch was an “honor” to Muslims.

“Iran’s Omid Satellite launch… is an honor to all Muslim countries,” he told the Mehr News Agency.

Iran successfully launched its first domestically-produced satellite into orbit on Monday. The satellite, called Omid, or hope in Farsi, is intended for telecommunications and research activities.

Saleh praised Iran’s scientific achievements, saying, “We believe that this was a great job and an indicator of the power of the Islamic Republic of Iran and even Islamic countries.”

“Today the Islamic Republic of Iran has become a developed country and is able to attain further achievements in near future.”

Iran’s launch of the Omid satellite hit the United States and Israel in the head like a hammer, Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati said on Friday.

In his second sermon to thousands of worshippers at the central campus of Tehran University, the provisional Friday prayers leader of Tehran, after congratulating the Supreme Leader, the government, and the Iranian nation over the successful launch of the Omid (hope) satellite, added, “Everyone in the four corners of the world said (after that event), we do not know what Iran is doing. Every five or six months, the Iranians announce an invention or a scientific achievement.”

Jannati added, “If a country wished to do such a thing they would have had to seek the assistance of a big world power and when the Iranian friends intended to manufacture this satellite they sought the assistance of some neighboring countries, but they sneered at us, telling us that is too big a goal for a country like ours to achieve, refraining from offering us assistance, and so much the better they didn’t.

The offspring of Iran and the pious Iranian youth, therefore, manufactured this satellite quite indigenously and it was successfully launched into the (earth) orbit.”

This week’s Friday preacher of Tehran emphasizing the importance of the system’s general plans, particularly the country’s Fifth Comprehensive Development Plan, whose headlines have been devised, ratified and declared by the Supreme Leader, said, “These general policies must be taken serious, since they are the policies that would raise the position of the country both in the region and in the world up to a high status.”

Jannati further emphasized, “The late Imam (Khomeini – P) once said, “You can” and it is this capability relying on which Omid Satellite was launched successfully.”

He added, “The general policies of the system need to be implemented, and by grace of God, we would pursue the ives of an Islamic civilization that would manage to establish justice within the barriers of its domain and block the path for discrimination, looting, oppression, hegemony seeking, despotism, and criminal acts, and that would happen, since its signs are already observed, and by will of God, embracing victory is close at hand.”

The provisional Friday preacher of Tehran reiterated, “The enemy fails to understand the existing spirituality in our country and the power we have gained under the shade of that divine atmosphere.”

Referring to the comments of the resigned Israeli prime minister who had said we wont permit Iran to have access to the nuclear technology, Jannati said, “Thank you very much indeed for not permitting, as we did not know we had to seek your permission in advance, and also we made mistake in not seeking your permission prior to launching the Omid Satellite!”

He emphasized, “Look how absent minded they are. They have gone fully insane. The Iranians work manly and mightily, leaving behind the entire hurdles in the way of their advancement and then, Israel, which is itself heading towards downfall and its weak days, having tasted the agony of defeat in confrontation with a small portion of Gaza residents and its will to suppress them, is now bragging we wont permit Iran to have access to nuclear technology.”

He added, “Just as the westerners have confessed, after joining the nuclear club of the big powers, Iran has now entered the group of the eight industrial countries that are capable of launching satellites, and is now after the passage of 30 years (from the victory of the Islamic Revolution of Iran) ranking fourth among 179 countries in advancement scale.”

Jannati said, “Those who observe a little justice in expressing their stands when they read such confessions admit that Iran is constructing its future today.”

Addressing those who play political games he said, “Come on now and end playing political games for a while. Be frank with the people. End hatching plots and establishing ties with the enemies. Do not show the green light to America. You would create problems both for them, and for yourselves, while creating trouble for us.”

Jannati condoled the world Muslims on upcoming anniversary of the 40th day after the martyrdom of the third Shi’a Imam, Hussain ibn-Ali (P), arguing, “We are indebted for whatever we have today to such mourning ceremonies, which we need to commemorate greatly.

He also congratulated the Iranian nation on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Islamic Revolution and appreciated them for their broad presence at Bahman 22nd nationwide rallies, reiterating, “The noble and prosperous Iranian nation hit another sever punch against the head of the Americans and the Israelis with that move, starting a soft enemy breaking plan against those who are planning for overthrowing the system softly.”

He emphasized, “They have to get the message and decide whether they wish to confront a 70 million strong nation and urge them to surrender, since the message of Bahman 22nd rallies was that this nation will not surrender, and is faithful to Islam, the late Imam (P), and the revolution, and is still an enemy of the United States.”

AFP - Iran has placed its first home-built satellite in orbit using a Safir-2 rocket in a move that is set to raise new concerns in the international community.
"On the 30th anniversary of the Islamic revolution and with the order of the president the national Omid satellite was launched," Fars news agency said.
"This is the first satellite that has been launched in the history of our nation and it was carried by Safir-2 satellite carrier."
The satellite was launched on Monday evening, the state news agency IRNA reported.
IRNA said the satellite was completely "made in Iran and is a light satellite."
"The satellite is aimed at determining orbital measurements and will circulate Earth 15 times in every 24 hours," the report said without quoting a source.
It said Safir-2 has the capability to "accurately launch a light satellite into space and place it in orbit."
"All parts of Safir-2 Omid have been made by Iranian scientists," it added.
The first Safir-2 rocket was sent into space in August and its development had raised concerns in the international community which is already at loggerheads with Tehran over its ambitious nuclear programme.
   Washington and other world powers suspect that Tehran is building atomic weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear programme. Iran denies these charges saying its nuclear plan is purely for civilian uses.
Safir is about 22 metres (72 feet) long, with a diameter of 1.25 metres (a little over four feet) and weighing more than 26 tonnes.
Iran"s most powerful military missile, the Shahab-3, has a diameter of 1.30 metres and measures 17 metres in length.
In August when the Safir-2 was launched, media reports had initially claimed that the rocket had carried Omid (Hope) but this was later denied by officials who said only a test satellite had gone up.
In February 2008, Iran triggered international concern when it said it had sent a probe into space on the back of a rocket to prepare for a satellite launch, and announced the opening of its space station in a remote western desert.
At that time, officials had said the Omid satellite would be sent into space in May or June.
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has made Iran"s scientific development one of the main themes of his presidency, asserting that the country has reached a peak of progress despite international sanctions and no longer needs to depend on foreign states for help.
However, Iran"s claims about its military and technological capabilities are often greeted with scepticism by Western experts.Iran has pursued a space programme for several years, and in October 2005 a Russian-made Iranian satellite named Sina-1 was put into orbit by a Russian rocket.

Adapted From www.France24.com