Iran’s Guard Says it Launched Satellite Amid US Tensions

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard says it's launched a military satellite into orbit amid wider tensions with the U.S.

The Guard made the announcement on Wednesday, saying the two-stage satellite launch took off from Iran’s Central Desert, without elaborating.

It called the launch “a great achievement.”

The launch comes amid tensions between Tehran and Washington over its collapsing nuclear deal and after a U.S. drone strike killed a Guard general in Iraq in January.

Iran has suffered several failed satellite launches in recent months.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump acknowledged an incident with Iranian gunboats last Wednesday, saying he has instructed the Navy to destroy Iranian gunboats if they harass U.S. ships.