Iran conducts first rocket test since war with Israel, sparking renewed missile concerns

Iran has carried out a suborbital test of its Qased satellite launch vehicle — its first since the end of the recent war with Israel — in what Tehran describes as a bid to evaluate new space technologies.

The launch was announced on July 21, by Tasnim news agency, Caliber.Az reports.

The test, which did not involve placing a satellite into orbit, was intended to trial “new technologies” under development by Iran’s space sector. According to Iranian authorities, the data collected will be used to enhance the country's satellite and space system capabilities.

Developed and operated by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), the Qased is a three-stage launcher first introduced in 2020 and previously used to place military satellites such as Noor-2 and Noor-3 into low Earth orbit. Its use by the IRGC, and its dual-use technology have long raised alarm in Western defence and intelligence circles.

The test comes just weeks after Israel launched Operation Rising Lion in June 2025, a large-scale air campaign targeting Iran’s missile production facilities. The Israeli military claimed to have destroyed roughly one-third of Iran’s long-range missile launchers, significantly degrading its offensive capabilities. Iran, however, maintains that its missile infrastructure remains operational and resilient.

Western experts caution that while Qased is publicly framed as part of a civilian space program, the underlying technology is virtually identical to that used in intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs). A 2024 US intelligence assessment concluded that Iran’s satellite launch vehicles — including Qased — could accelerate its timeline to develop an ICBM if modified for military use.

By Vafa Guliyeva