Iran's space agency says it will send man to space

Its probably a cover for their plan to nuke Israel and New York City.

Well if they can send a man up there nuking New York and Israel aren't too far behind.

Hey, they already have a space cadet named Ahmadinejad. I volunteer him!!! Put him in training right now. It's never too soon!

If its not for peaceful purposes i can't blame them, with a vicious neighbor like Israel nearby I'd get a couple of nukes around me too.

A neighbor so vicious they've had nukes for decades and not used them despite constant harassment and delibrate rocket fire into civillian areas for years on end. Not to mention wars of aggression brought on them from their "peace be upon you" Islamic neighbors.

occupation without resistance is very difficult to achieve

They won a war of aggression and they "occupy" the land...hmmm does that mean the United States is "occupying" most of the east coast?

It's hardly a grand conspiracy that Iran would develop using ICBM's using this technology. Actually, it plain obvious since that's exactly what China, USSR and US have done before them!

It makes a lot of sense to develop such weapons when the world's primary military super power has invaded and occupied countries either side of your borders.

I doubt that they're planning to nuke Israel or New York. That wouldn't achieve anything since the inevitable US Israeli counter attack would wipe out Iran. No point in imposing islamic rule over a radioactive crater. However, the ABILITY to do that gives a country strategic leverage. For one thing, you're never going to be invaded!

That regime wants to maintain the present order, free of threats of being invaded by US, or bombed by Israel. If it just wanted to spite Israel without any regard for what would happen to itself - It could have that already with conventional weapons. Israel is a pretty small country, it wouldn't be to hard to destroy it conventionally!

Since that hasn't happened yet, It's safe to assume they're rational and interested in surviving with the current theocratic regime intact.

The good news about this is that even if its just for prestige, It will mean more nations will be able to participate in manned space exploration. That can only be a good thing, given how NASA is waning as a power in space exploration. Having a monopoly on space has caused this organization to slow. Competition from other nations will force it to compete again.

As well as providing competition for all the other players, having an Iran that can put people in space is better for international cooperation too. Missions that are too expensive for single states can be undertaken by several, spreading the cost :D

It also gives the middle east a very positive role model (whether you agree with its theocratic rule or not). The fact is that they're becoming a technological advanced and progressive country, not by buying it of Europe, USA or Russia, but by developing it themselves!

OMG where to begin...

It's hardly a grand conspiracy that Iran would develop using ICBM's using this technology. Actually, it plain obvious since that's exactly what China, USSR and US have done before them!

This is supposed to make the rest of the world feel better how?

It makes a lot of sense to develop such weapons when the world's primary military super power has invaded and occupied countries either side of your borders.

Or you've been making threats to "wipe off the map" the world's superpower's ally.

I doubt that they're planning to nuke Israel or New York. That wouldn't achieve anything since the inevitable US Israeli counter attack would wipe out Iran. No point in imposing islamic rule over a radioactive crater.

Hitler wasn't a rational man either, and he basically told the world exactly what he was going to do before he did it. Saddam would have only needed to let in inspectors to avoid his fate and yet...here we are. Sorry I don't put much faith in the rationality of nationalist/religious extremist leaders.

However, the ABILITY to do that gives a country strategic leverage. For one thing, you're never going to be invaded!

With our missile bases in Poland they might not even have the ability to do such, even though they may think they do.

It could have that already with conventional weapons. Israel is a pretty small country, it wouldn't be to hard to destroy it conventionally!

BAHhahahahahahahhaha....oh wait you were serious weren't you? Have you read any of the literature on the history of arab/Israeli conventional conflicts? I doubt VERY much Iran is any kind of a conventional threat to Israel.

Since that hasn't happened yet, It's safe to assume they're rational and interested in surviving with the current theocratic regime intact.

Um no they just haven't been ABLE to do that yet, despite their best efforts in the past. Nuclear weapons may very well change the stakes, as they've already proven their aggressive genocidal intentions towards Israel.

It also gives the middle east a very positive role model (whether you agree with its theocratic rule or not). The fact is that they're becoming a technological advanced and progressive country, not by buying it of Europe, USA or Russia, but by developing it themselves!

LOL all you need is the money dude, there's nothing really to rocket science but reading a book and having the money to do it anymore.

Iran has no way to launch even a cracker towars israel without being called afterwards "Iran gulf" , appearing in the turistic guides as "This water mass was , once upon a time , a country with a long history..."

Who knows , they can even take a liking to the space program. Lets not forget that the moon has a great simbolic significance for the muslims. The first muslim in the moon may attain a status just a little minor than the mahdi himself.

The best weapon to keep Iran from putting a man in orbit???

Bring back all the episodes of "PIGS IN SPAAAAAAACE!" with Persian/Farsi subtitles.

(Hell, if the Iraqi leadership actually thought Bart Simpson was a real guy, the wack-o theocrats in Iran would shit their pajamas over this.)