An Iranian satellite involved in this week’s failed launch miraculously survived a large on-site explosion, according to a Tehran minister who taunted the US president with the photo of the “undamaged” device.
“Me & Nahid 1 right now. Good Morning Donald Trump!” tweeted Communications Minister Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi, uploading a picture that purported to show him with the Nahid 1 – a solar-powered communications satellite that was set to be taken into space this Thursday.
But the mission failed before it started, as the Safir-1B rocket reportedly exploded on the launch pad. Commercial satellite imagery published by international media also indicated an explosion, showing a thick plume of black smoke rising from the launch site.
The minister’s tweet was apparently in response to a remark by US President Donald Trump, in which he ruled out any US involvement in the accident, adding that he wishes Tehran “good luck in determining what happened at Site One.”
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. pic.twitter.com/z0iDj2L0Y3
However, Trump’s Twitter intervention has only muddied the waters regarding the failure, launching speculation that it could have been an act of sabotage, rather than a technical failure.
The US has long been suspicious about Iran’s space efforts, claiming that it could boost its ballistic missile technology.
Tensions between Iran and the US have escalated dramatically since last year, when Washington withdrew from the milestone 2015 nuclear deal signed between Iran and six world powers. Trump then reintroduced sweeping sanctions on Iran’s economy and finances, with the stated goal of reducing the country’s oil exports to zero.
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