Trump says US 'not involved' in failed Iranian satellite launch

ANI

Washington DCUpdated: Aug 31, 2019, 09:57 AM IST

The self-proclaimed dealmaker has failed again. Since taking office, Donald Trump has had a torrid time with deals, be it North Korea, Iran or China, Trump has had a lot to say, but precious little to show. On Tuesday as well, US President Donald Trump proclaimed talks with Afghanistan's Taliban leaders dead while the general in charge said the US military is likely to ramp up operations in Afghanistan to counter an increase in Taliban attacks. Trump scrapped talks with the Taliban planned for Camp David, Maryland, over the weekend after an American soldier was killed by a suicide bomber in the capital Kabul last week. Trump's decision to cancel the talks is puzzling because it goes against his pledge to withdraw the nearly 14-thousandn US Troops Afghanistan and end US involvement in a conflict that is closing in on 18 years. Photograph:(Reuters)

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Trump tweeted what seems to be an image of the site of the failed satellite launch by Iran

United States President Donald Trump on Friday said that Washington had nothing to do in Iran`s failed attempt to launch a satellite into space and wished Tehran "good luck" in finding out what went wrong.

Trump tweeted what seems to be an image of the site of the failed satellite launch by Iran.

"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," Trump wrote on Twitter.

Satellite imagery shared by NPR on Thursday showed that an Iranian rocket appeared to have exploded on the launch pad while attempting to launch a satellite into orbit.

The incident marked Iran`s third failed attempt this year to launch a rocket.

Plans to conduct three space launches were announced by the Iranian Defence Ministry earlier this year.

Since the rockets incorporate the same technology used for missiles, Washington has argued that the launches violate a United Nations Security Council resolution, which states that Tehran cannot undertake any activity related to Ballistic missiles, reported the Hill.

Iran on its part has denied that its space program is a cover for weapons development, maintaining that the program is peaceful.