04 February,2009 11:53 AM IST | | Agencies
Expressing "acute concern" over the launch of Iran's first indigenous satellite, the US has said that it will use all elements of national power to deal with Tehran. White House spokesperson Robert Gibbs said the launch of satellite by Iran does not convince the US that Tehran is acting responsibly to advance stability or security in the region.
"The President is clear that he wants Iran to be a responsible member of the world community," Gibbs told reporters in response to a question on successful launch of a satellite into space by Iran.
"The White House has seen reports on Iran. Efforts to develop missile delivery capability, efforts to continue on an illicit nuclear program, or threats that Iran makes toward Israel and its sponsorship of terror are of acute concern to this administration," he said.
Iran had on Monday launched its first homemade satellite in orbit using a Safir-2 rocket. "All of this continues to underscore that our administration will use all elements of our national power to deal with Iran and to help it be a responsible member of the international community," he said.
Earlier in the day, both the State Department and the Pentagon expressed their serious concern over launching of satellite by Iran by arguing that this could be used to develop ballistic missiles. "It is certainly a reason for us to be concerned about Iran and its continued attempts to develop a ballistic missile programme of increasingly long range, although this would appear just to be the launch of a satellite, their first," Pentagon spokesperson Geoff Morrell said.
