He made the remarks at a gathering of IRGC officers and veterans in Tehran on Wednesday, hours after the successful launch of the third satellite manufactured by the IRGC Aerospace Force.

Iran announced on Wednesday the homegraown Nour-3 imaging satellite was successfully placed into a 450km orbit of the earth with the homemade Qased satellite carrier. The IRGC had launched the first Iranian military satellite, Noor-1, in April 2020, and Noor-2 in March 2022.

“We use the collection of what we receive (from the satellite) and [the information] it gathers from the Earth to meet the IRGC’s intelligence demands,” Maj. Gen. Salami stated.

Elaborating on the specifications of the Nour-3, the IRGC chief added the satellite is seven kilograms heavier than its previous version Nour-2 and features imaging equipment that are more precise and produce pictures with better quality.

IRGC Aerospace Commander Brigadier General Amir Ali Hajizadeh also said on Wednesday Tehran plans two more satellite launches until the end of the current Iranian calendar year which will be late March.

Brigadier General Hajizadeh added the launches will enable Iran to have a "constellation of satellites" in the space in the near future.

Iran has taken giant strides in the field of science of technology in recent years, despite US sanctions, and is among the world's top 10 states capable of building and launching satellites.

Iran launched its first satellite Omid (Hope) in 2009 and its Rasad (Observation) satellite was sent into orbit in 2011. In 2012, Iran successfully put its third domestically-made satellite, Navid (Good News), into orbit.

In April 2020, the country announced the successful launched of its first military satellite into orbit. In March 2022, it blasted its second military satellite into space. And in August 2022, Iran sent Khayyam, a high-resolution imaging satellite, into orbit.

The Iranian Space Agency (ISA) has announced that work was underway to prepare several more satellites for launch into the orbit.

Iranian President Seyed Ebrahim Rayeesi has stressed continued efforts to further advance space technology.

“The obtainment of this technology is among the manifestations of national might, which was made possible with the efforts of the Armed Forces - specially the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and the Communications Ministry - and which must continue with greater force,” he noted.

President Rayeesi has underlined that the new achievements in the aerospace industries will be unveiled in the future. He underscored the government’s serious determination to advance space technology.