Iran's semi-official ISNA news agency is reporting that a fire in the country's space research center has killed three scientists.

Axar.az reports citing Sunday News Agency.

The Sunday report quotes Telecommunications Minister Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi as saying that three researchers have died "because of a fire in one of the buildings of the Space Research Center."

Jahromi did not elaborate in the report.

Iran plans to launch a satellite into orbit despite U.S. criticism that such launches benefit its ballistic missile program.

In January, the country launched a satellite, but authorities said it failed to reach the "necessary speed" in the third stage of its launch.

Iran's young space program has sent several short-lived satellites into orbit over the past decade, and in 2013 launched a monkey into space.