The Islamic republic is now the world's 43rd country owning a satellite, but the government has higher ambitions.

Under a 20-year plan, Iran aims to become a technological powerhouse of western Asia and a regional superpower by 2025.

Aerospace faculties have increased at Iranian universities in recent years, and Iranian technicians are being trained in Italy, Russia and China on how to design and build satellites.

The Iranian government has allocated $500 million on space projects for the next five years, Communication Minister Mohammad Soleimani said last week.

"We have to build our own satellites, our own launchers. We need to be one of eight top countries mastering space technology," said Ahmad Talebzadeh, the head of the Iranian Space Agency.

Western restrictions

Some states, particularly Israel, have concerns over the military applications of the Iranian space program.

Israel is a leader in space technology. Cameras on its Ofek-5 spy satellite have been monitoring the activities in Arab countries and Iran since 2002.

Israel say that Iran could use the space technology to launch attacks on Israeli soil and U.S. forces in the Middle East. 

But Iran maintains that it wants to put its own satellites in space to monitor its neighborhood for its national security, and to improve its telecommunications and monitor natural disasters, as the country is located in an earthquake-prone region.

Iran fears that its space plans could be targeted like its nuclear program.

Tehran insists that its nuclear program is strictly aimed at the peaceful generation of electricity, but Washington and Israel claim that the Iranians secretly work on an atomic weapons program, and want to refer Tehran‘s nuclear file to the UN Security Council for possible sanctions.

"The moment they feel Iran has made a breakthrough, they will impose restrictions more than those they have imposed on Iran's nuclear program," said one space official, Mohammad Reza Movaseghinia, according to AFP.

"We have to move quickly and achieve our goals in space. Otherwise, we will face political, economic and security threats," Movaseghinia added.

Last month Iran launched its first small satellite, the Sina-1, aboard a Russian rocket.

That orbiter was Russian-made, but Tehran built its second satellite, the Mesbah, which is expected to be carried into space by a Russian rocket in about two months.

Iranian officials says that the Sina-1 satellite is capable of monitoring Israel but insists that it has no military intentions.

Iran's plan is to launch a satellite with one of its own rockets. Iranian officials say they are working on a Shahab-4 missile that could carry a satellite on its orbit, but have not given details on when it will be launched.

In January, Iran inked a $132 million deal with a Russian company to build a telecommunications satellite within the next two years. Tehran also signed agreements to launch a joint satellite with China and Thailand.