Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu on Sunday evening commented on the failure of Iran to launch a satellite into orbit.
"We were told today that Iran failed to launch a satellite. They also fail to deliver weapons to Syria and Lebanon because we are constantly operating there these days," Netanyahu said at a Likud conference in Nahariya, thus implying that Iran’s failure was not accidental.
Iranian media reported earlier on Sunday that an attempt by Iran to launch a satellite into orbit had failed.
A Simorgh or “Phoenix” rocket was used in the attempt to deploy the Zafar I communications satellite. The launch failed to deploy the satellite into orbit, however, Iranian television reported, due to low rocket speed.
A year ago, Iran attempted to launch a satellite into space but in this incident, too, failed when the satellite failed to reach orbit.
The launch came despite US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s warning to Iran to cease its efforts to develop ballistic missiles. Pompeo demanded that Iran drop its plans for a space launch, saying such actions would defy UN Security Council Resolution 2231.
During Sunday’s conference, Netanyahu also called on Blue and White chairman Benny Gantz to sever his relationship with former prime minister Ehud Olmert.
"A Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert who today is a close adviser to Benny Gantz, offered [PA chairman Mahmoud] Abbas the Western Wall. That is unbelievable. Now he is going to Abbas to thwart the Deal of the Century. I urge Gantz to disengage from Olmert already,” said Netanyahu.