Iran opened a key space facility to visiting journalists for the first time on Feb. 29 in an apparent effort to show its willingness to allow glimpses at sensitive technology even as Tehran and UN inspectors trade accusations about access to nuclear sites and experts. The press tour of the Alborz Space Centre, about 70 km west of Tehran, also sought to showcase Iran’s advances in aerospace sciences less than a month after it announced another satellite was launched into orbit. Iran’s ambitious space programme has raised concerns in the West because of possible military applications. Iran says Navid was designed to collect data on weather conditions and monitor natural disasters. The space centre visit – by nearly 50 journalists for international media in two separate groups – comes as Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog agency are locked in disputes over access to officials and key sites in the Islamic Republic’s atomic programme.
The West and allies fear Iran’s uranium enrichment labs could eventually produce weapons-grade material. Iran says it only seek nuclear power for energy and medical research. Allowing journalists into the space facility could be an attempt to discredit UN claims that Iran is keeping a tight lid on its technological capabilities. Officials said the space centre has no military role, and is used to control and collect data from various satellites, including Navid.