Moscow Suspicious of Iranian Rocket

 

February 07, 2008 Reuters Moscow Times

Russia said Wednesday that Iran's test launch of a rocket raised suspicions about the real nature of the country's atomic program, in what could signal a hardening of its stance toward Tehran. Iran launched a rocket Monday designed to carry its first locally made research satellite next year, showing the country's advances in ballistics at a time when Western powers are already wary that it may be developing a nuclear weapon.

"Any movement in terms of creating such a potential weapon naturally worries us and others," Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Losyuko told journalists, Interfax reported. "All the more so since it creates suspicion toward Iran about its possible desire to create a nuclear weapon."

"Rockets of such range are one of the components of such a weapons system. Of course this raises concern," he added

Russia has previously said there is no evidence that Tehran is trying to make nuclear weapons.