President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States was “not involved” with a recent rocket launch failure in Iran while wishing the country his “best wishes” in figuring out what happened, in what several people believed to be a mocking tone.
On Thursday an Iranian rocket appeared to have exploded at a launch pad at the Imam Khomeini Space Center, according to NPR. The rocket’s failure was the third this year, the news outlet reported.
NPR released satellite imagery of the site.
Seemingly unprompted, Trump declared on Friday that the United States had nothing to do with the rocket’s failure, but then wished the country “good luck in determining what happened” with the rocket’s failure.
“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,” the president tweeted on Friday afternoon, adding a photo.
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
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 30, 2019
Earlier this week, it was revealed the U.S. was behind a cyberattack in Iran, which came in response to harassment in shipping lanes, and which crippled some of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s computer infrastructure.
Several people online thought Trump’s tweet was trolling, or mocking, Iran—a country he’s repeatedly sparred with—wspecially given the news of recent U.S. action.
https://twitter.com/DavidLarter/status/1167499349464616961
https://twitter.com/ColinKahl/status/1167496701063487488
Do you also sense a bit of sarcasm in this tweet? It is cleverly done. https://t.co/j2h0z7kXI9
— Amir R. Bolurchi (@ablrchi) August 30, 2019
https://twitter.com/StaubGreg/status/1167498772164878336
https://twitter.com/GangstaDatabase/status/1167497560405053440
Earlier this summer, Trump announced a new round of sanctions against Iran, and while doing so said the name of a long-dead ayatollah instead of the current leader.
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