U.N. Approves Iranian 'Disaster Info Management Center,' Despite Experts' Ballistic Fears

The same international body that released a report showcasing Iran's penchant for sending weapons to violent terrorists recently approved an Iranian proposal that some experts fear could boost the nation's ballistic capabilities.

According to FOX News, the United Nations, in the midst of using sanctions to block Iran's nuclear weapons program, is supporting the Islamic Republic's proposal to construct a "disaster information management center." This move is a blow to the United States, which has successfully prevented such a move since the nation first proposed it back in 2006:

As if to underscore its victory, Iran this week announced that it had launched its own observation satellite, Rassad-1, which will remain in orbit for the next two months.

The decision to approve the Iran proposal was taken without a vote on May 25 by the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the self-described “regional development arm of the United Nations for the Asia-Pacific region.”

Interestingly, ESCAP very quietly passed the resolution and declined to include the new center in a press release following the May meeting. FOX quotes Elliot Abrams, a former national security advisor to George W. Bush:

"It’s outrageous that a country that has been denounced repeatedly by the U.N. Security Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency should be rewarded in this fashion."

Iran's proposal claims that the center would assist in warning the government about "impending calamities," provide a mechanism for data collection and assist in analyzing disaster recovery. While the nation insists that this new system is needed to fill disaster management "gaps," some experts fear that the technology and satellite capabilities could better equip the nation to refine and utilize ballistic missiles. You can read the U.N. resolution here.

Iran continues to insist that its nuclear programs are being conducted for peaceful purposes. Below, watch Iran Today's attempt at defending the nation's stance, while diminishing the West's concerns: