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Iran’s IRGC Put Noor 2 Satellite in Orbit

FILE: A handout picture released by Iran's Defense Ministry on December 30, 2021 shows a Simorgh (Phoenix) satellite rocket lifting off during its launch at an undisclosed location in Iran. (AFP Photos)
FILE: A handout picture released by Iran's Defense Ministry on December 30, 2021 shows a Simorgh (Phoenix) satellite rocket lifting off during its launch at an undisclosed location in Iran. (AFP Photos)
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Iran’s IRGC Put Noor 2 Satellite in Orbit

FILE: A handout picture released by Iran's Defense Ministry on December 30, 2021 shows a Simorgh (Phoenix) satellite rocket lifting off during its launch at an undisclosed location in Iran. (AFP Photos)
FILE: A handout picture released by Iran's Defense Ministry on December 30, 2021 shows a Simorgh (Phoenix) satellite rocket lifting off during its launch at an undisclosed location in Iran. (AFP Photos)

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has successfully put a second military satellite, the Noor 2, into orbit, the semi-official news agency Tasnim said on Tuesday.

Noor 2 is orbiting at an altitude of 500 kilometers (311 miles). The first military satellite, launched by the Islamic Republic in April 2020, placed the Noor, or “light” in Persian, at an orbit of 425km (265 miles) above the earth’s surface.

Putting a second satellite in space would be a major advance for Iran’s military, raising concerns about the country's nuclear and missile programs, according to Reuters.

The US military says the same long-range ballistic technology used to put satellites into orbit could also allow Tehran to launch longer-range weapons, possibly including nuclear warheads.

“The IRGC successfully placed Iran’s second military satellite, Noor 2, into orbit 500 kilometers from earth,” Tasnim said.

The three-stage Qased, or “Messenger,” carrier launched the Noor 2, from the Shahroud space port, it added.

The same type of rockets, which use a combination of liquid and solid fuels, carried the first military satellite.

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Sheinbaum Says She Rejected Trump's Offer to Send Troops to Mexico

FILE - Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum attends her morning press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File)
FILE - Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum attends her morning press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File)
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Sheinbaum Says She Rejected Trump's Offer to Send Troops to Mexico

FILE - Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum attends her morning press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File)
FILE - Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum attends her morning press conference at the National Palace in Mexico City, April 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte, File)

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Saturday that US President Donald Trump had proposed sending US troops to Mexico to combat drug trafficking, but said she had rejected that offer because "sovereignty is not for sale."
Sheinbaum's comments were in response to questions about a Wall Street Journal report published on May 2 that said Trump was pressuring Mexico to allow deeper US military involvement against drug cartels to combat trafficking across the shared border.
"In one of the calls, (Trump) said, 'How can we help you fight drug trafficking? I propose that the US Army come in to help you,'" said Sheinbaum, who was speaking at a university event near the capital on Saturday.
"And you know what I told him? No, President Trump, the territory is sacrosanct, sovereignty is sacrosanct, sovereignty is not for sale, sovereignty is loved and defended," the president said, adding that while the two countries can collaborate, "we will never accept the presence of the United States military in our territory."
A spokesperson for the US National Security Council (NSC) said in response to a Reuters request for comment that Trump had been "crystal clear that Mexico must do more to combat these gangs and cartels and the United States stands ready to assist and expand the already close cooperation between our two countries."
The council spokesperson added that Trump had worked closely with Sheinbaum to achieve the "most secure southwest border in history", however, "dangerous foreign terrorist organizations continue to threaten our shared security and the drugs and crime they spread threaten American communities across the country," the spokesperson said.
The White House did not immediately respond when asked by Reuters whether Trump had raised troop deployments with Sheinbaum.
Trump has said publicly that the US would take unilateral military action if Mexico failed to dismantle drug cartels. The two leaders have had several calls in recent months to discuss security issues, trade and immigration.
Sheinbaum went on to explain that during one of the calls she had asked Trump for help to prevent weapons from entering Mexico from the United States that fuel violence and trafficking.
"We can collaborate, we can work together, but you can do it in your territory, we can do it in ours," Sheinbaum said.
The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday that tension between the two leaders rose towards the end of an April 16 telephone conversation when Trump pushed to have US armed forces take a leading role in tackling Mexican drug gangs that produce and smuggle fentanyl to the US.
In February, the US designated the Sinaloa Cartel and other Mexican drug cartels as global terrorist organizations, which some analysts have warned could be a stepping stone to such military action.
Airborne surveillance of Mexican drug cartels by the US military has also increased, as part of efforts to collect intelligence to determine how to best counter their activities.
Sheinbaum has since proposed a constitutional reform aimed at adding protections to Mexico's national sovereignty.