Iran Admits to Satellite Launcher Missile Explosion; Test Had Technical Error

The Islamic Republic regime has acknowledged for the first time the explosion of a satellite launcher missile at one of its space facilities, stating that a technical error caused the blast.

Ali Rabiei, spokesman for the Islamic Republic government, released a statement on Monday regarding the incident, which received widespread coverage in Iranian media.

Rabiei said the explosion caused no casualties and that relevant officials found no evidence suggesting sabotage played a role in the explosion.

Satellite images showed a missile on a launch pad at a space center that had exploded on Thursday. The space center is located approximately 240 kilometers southeast of Tehran.

President Donald Trump tweeted an image of the system on Friday, likely taken by an American spy satellite. The U.S. 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 despite objections from many countries. Until winter 2017, when the United States raised the issue of Iran’s ballistic missile tests in the Security Council, the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps continuously conducted these tests.

In recent years, Iran has conducted missile tests, some of which bore the slogan “Death to Israel” inscribed in various languages, including Hebrew.

The Islamic Republic has also recently attempted to launch satellites into space using missiles.

U.S. officials have repeatedly stated that Iran’s missile tests violate UN Security Council Resolution 2231.

The Trump administration has imposed maximum pressure on Iran over the past year and stated that the Iranian regime must behave like a normal country and cease its efforts to obtain nuclear weapons, its extensive missile program, support for terrorism, and other provocative actions.

Source: Voice of America