Iran acknowledges rocket explosion, says test malfunctioned
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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 government spokesman Ali Rabiei saying a technical malfunction during a test caused the explosion.
The comments by Rabiei were the first explanation offered by Iran for Thursday's explosion, which came ahead of a planned satellite launch by the Islamic Republic that the U.S. has criticized.
Rabiei also criticized President Donald Trump for tweeting what appeared to be a surveillance photo of the aftermath of the explosion shot by a U.S. spy satellite.
