Iran said it had sent a monkey into space and returned it to earth alive, heightening concern in the west that the Islamic regime is advancing its ballistic technology for potential use in nuclear warheads.
It was not clear when Iran launched the capsule – codenamed Pishgam (Pioneer), reportedly to a height of 360,000 feet – nor was it possible to confirm the claims independently.
Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi, Iran’s defence minister, said the development was “the first step towards sending a human into orbit”. A statement on Iran’s official news agency said the monkey space trip coincided “with the days of” the Prophet Mohammed’s birthday – which falls on a Tuesday in the Shia calendar – but gave no date.
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