(JNS.org) Iran has launched a space satellite that is using technology that could “contribute” to its ballistic missile program, which would be capable of delivering a nuclear weapon, a panel of United Nations experts said. According to Fox News, Iran launched its “space launch vehicle” using a rocket that is a variant of its Shahab-3 ballistic missile, which has a range of about 1,000 miles. The Shahab-3 missile is one of two missile types that experts believe “to be potentially capable of delivery of nuclear weapons.”

The panel noted that Iranian officials and state media have not been “reporting any new ballistic missile developments” such as the unveiling of new missile technology, but that satellite launches have been another matter. For years, experts have warned that Iran’s space program could be cover for its ballistic missile program, which shares much of the same technology.