Iran's launch of its first satellite into space is a grave cause for concern to the U.S. as the Islamic Republic continues to work toward developing long-range missile capability, the Pentagon and White House said Tuesday.
Tuesday's launch of its first domestically made satellite "does not convince us that Iran is acting responsibly to advance stability or security in the region," said White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.
Gibbs said any effort to develop missile delivery capability, continue an illicit nuclear program, threaten Israel and sponsor terror is an "acute concern to this administration."
"It is certainly a reason for us to be concerned about Iran and its continued attempts to develop a ballistic missile program of increasingly long range," Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell told reporters Tuesday.
"They (Iran) pose a real threat and it is a growing threat," he said.
Iran sent its first domestically made satellite into orbit, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced Tuesday claiming a significant step in an ambitious space program that has worried many international observers.
The satellite called Omid or "Hope" in Farsi was launched late Monday on the 30th anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution.
Iran has dismissed Western concerns over the launch of its domestically-made satellite, insisting the breakthrough is one of peaceful nature.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Tuesday that Iran's space-related achievements are in line with the country's legal needs and requirements.
Source: FOX NEWS