{"id":54284,"date":"2019-09-02T16:04:10","date_gmt":"2019-09-02T16:04:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2019\/09\/02\/iran-acknowledges-rocket-explosion-says-test-malfunctioned\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T09:24:24","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T09:24:24","slug":"iran-acknowledges-rocket-explosion-says-test-malfunctioned","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/09\/02\/iran-acknowledges-rocket-explosion-says-test-malfunctioned\/","title":{"rendered":"Iran acknowledges rocket explosion, says test malfunctioned"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">TEHRAN, Iran \u2014 Iran acknowledged for the first time on Monday that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/flashpoints\/2019\/08\/29\/satellite-photos-show-burning-iran-space-center-launch-pad\/\" target=\"_blank\">a rocket at its Imam Khomeini Space Center exploded<\/a> after satellite photos showed the blast last week, with an official saying a technical malfunction during a test caused the explosion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The comments by government spokesman Ali Rabiei were the first explanation offered by Iran for Thursday&#8217;s explosion, which came ahead of a planned satellite launch by the Islamic Republic that the U.S. has criticized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rabiei also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2019\/08\/31\/mysterious-iran-rocket-blast-draws-trump-tweet-tehran-response\/\" target=_blank>criticized President Donald Trump for tweeting<\/a> what appeared to be a surveillance photo of the aftermath of the explosion shot by a U.S. spy satellite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The explosion marked <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/your-military\/2019\/01\/15\/iran-satellite-fails-to-reach-orbit-after-launch-that-worried-us\/\" target=_blank>the third failure involving a rocket<\/a> at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/08\/18\/images-show-iran-satellite-launch-looms-despite-us-criticism\/\" target=_blank>the Iranian center<\/a>, which has raised suspicions of sabotage in Iran\u2019s space program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, Rabiei dismissed that, saying that &#8220;this has been a technical matter and a technical error. Our experts unanimously say so.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The explosion happened at the launchpad and no satellite had yet been transferred to the launchpad,&#8221; Rabiei said. &#8220;It happened at a test site, not at the launch site.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Commercially available satellite images by Planet Labs Inc. and Maxar Technologies showed a black plume of smoke rising above a launch pad Thursday, with what appeared to be the charred remains of a rocket and its launch stand. In previous days, satellite images had shown officials there repainted the launch pad blue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"5000\" height=\"2680\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19243153034473.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-90097\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19243153034473.jpg.jpg 5000w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19243153034473.jpg.jpg?resize=300,161 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19243153034473.jpg.jpg?resize=768,412 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19243153034473.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,549 1024w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19243153034473.jpg.jpg?resize=1536,823 1536w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP19243153034473.jpg.jpg?resize=2048,1098 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 5000px) 100vw, 5000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">This image taken from the Twitter account of President Donald J. Trump, @realDonaldTrump, shows an undated photo of the aftermath of an explosion at Iran&#8217;s Imam Khomeini Space Center in the country&#8217;s Semnan province. The explosion Thursday, Aug. 29, 2019, left the smoldering remains of a rocket on a launch pad at the center, which was to conduct a U.S.-criticized satellite launch. In his tweet Friday, Aug. 30, 2019, Trump wrote: &#8220;The United States of America was not involved in the catastrophic accident during final launch preparations for the Safir SLV Launch at Semnan Launch Site One in Iran. I wish Iran best wishes and good luck in determining what happened at Site One.&#8221; (Donald J. Trump Twitter account via AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The photo released Friday by Trump appeared to be a once-classified surveillance photo from American intelligence agencies. Analysts said the black rectangle in the photo&#8217;s upper-left-hand corner likely covered up the photo&#8217;s classification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The image showed damaged vehicles around the launch pad, as well as damage done to the rocket&#8217;s launcher. It also clearly showed a large phrase written in Farsi on the pad: &#8220;National Product, National Power.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The United States of America was not involved in the catastrophic accident during final launch preparations for the Safir SLV Launch at Semnan Launch Site One in Iran,&#8221; Trump wrote in his tweet, identifying the rocket used. &#8220;I wish Iran best wishes and good luck in determining what happened at Site One.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Rabiei criticized Trump&#8217;s decision to tweet about the rocket explosion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;We don&#8217;t understand why the U.S president tweets and posts satellite pictures with excitement. This is not understandable,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Maybe this is because lack of Iran-related subjects that they raise such issues.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The blast followed two failed satellite launches of the Payam and Doosti in January and February. A separate fire at the Imam Khomeini Space Center in February also killed three researchers, authorities said at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Over the past decade, Iran has sent several short-lived satellites into orbit and in 2013 launched a monkey into space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Iran is preparing to launch the Nahid-1, a communication satellite, into space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The U.S. alleges such satellite launches defy a U.N. Security Council resolution calling on Iran to undertake no activity related to ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Iran, which long has said it does not seek nuclear weapons, maintains its satellite launches and rocket tests do not have a military component. Tehran also says it hasn&#8217;t violated the U.N. resolution as it only &#8220;called upon&#8221; Tehran not to conduct such tests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The tests have taken on new importance to the U.S. amid the maximalist approach to Iran taken by President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration. Tensions have been high between the countries since Trump unilaterally withdrew the U.S. from Iran&#8217;s nuclear deal over a year ago and imposed sanctions, including on Iran&#8217;s oil industry. Iran recently has begun to break the accord itself while trying to push Europe to help it sell oil abroad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i>Gambrell reported from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Associated Press writer Mehdi Fattahi in Tehran, Iran, contributed to this report.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Iran acknowledged for the first time on Monday that a rocket at its Imam Khomeini Space Center exploded after satellite photos showed the blast last week, with an official saying a technical malfunction during a test caused the 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