Iran admits satellite-carrying missile exploded; test had technical error
The Islamic Republic of Iran has acknowledged for the first time the explosion of a satellite-carrying rocket at one of its space bases, saying that a technical error caused the explosion.
Ali Rabiei, spokesman for the Islamic Republic government, issued a statement on this matter on Monday, and the statement was widely covered in Iranian media.
Rabiei said the explosion did not cause any casualties and that relevant officials had found no signs that sabotage played a role in the explosion.
Satellite images showed a rocket on a satellite launch pad at the space center, which is located about 240 kilometers southeast of Tehran, exploding on Thursday.
President Donald Trump tweeted an image of the system on Friday, likely taken by a US surveillance satellite. The US president wrote in the tweet that the United States had no role in the explosion.
The Islamic Republic's missile program has been carried out in recent years with protests from many countries. Until the winter of 2017, when the United States raised the issue of Iran's ballistic missile tests in the Security Council, the Revolutionary Guard Corps had been conducting these tests continuously.
In recent years, Iran has conducted missile tests, some of which were emblazoned with the slogan "Destruction of Israel" in various languages, including Hebrew.
In recent months, the Islamic Republic has also been trying to launch a satellite into space using a rocket.
US officials have repeatedly stated that Iran's missile tests violate United Nations Security Council Resolution 2231.
President Trump's administration has been applying maximum pressure on Iran for the past year, saying that the Iranian regime must behave like a normal country and stop its efforts to acquire nuclear weapons, its extensive missile program, its support for terrorism, and other provoking actions.
Source: Voice of America
