By Ahmet Dursun</p> <p>ANKARA – (AA) Three scientists were killed after a fire broke out at Iran’s Space Research Center, local media reported Sunday. </p> <p>The cause of the fire remains unclear, Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency quoted Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi as saying.</p> <p>Jahromi did not provide any further details regarding the exact time of the fire or the names of the victims. </p> <p>On Jan. 15, Iran launched a domestically-manufactured satellite into space, but failed to place it in orbit.</p> <p>Nevertheless, the U.S. and France both condemned the satellite launch, claiming it violated UN Security Council Resolution 2231.</p> <p>In a statement, the U.S. accused Iran of "hiding its intercontinental ballistic missile program and threatening the Middle East and Europe with its satellite activities”.</p> <p>Tehran, for its part, countered that all of its missiles were solely conventional in nature and that its satellite activities were intended for exclusively civilian use.

