The Trump administration sanctions the Iranian space agency

The Trump administration announced Tuesday sanctions against the Iranian Space Agency, while tensions between Washington and Tehran are getting worse.

secretary of state Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoNetanyahu, Trump discussing diplomatic gesture before the Israeli elections: report The Hill & # 39; s Morning – The US coastline is preparing for Hurricane Dorian to make unlikely the talks on the # Iran despite the NEXT window of opportunity said in a statement that the sanctions had been applied against the space program and two of its research institutes for what the administration calls efforts to advance the ballistic missile program of Iran.

"The United States will not allow Iran to use its space launch program as a cover to advance its ballistic missile programs. Iran's attempt to launch a space launcher on August 29 underscores the urgency of the threat.

These designations should serve to warn the international scientific community that collaboration with the Iranian space program could strengthen Tehran's ability to develop a nuclear weapons delivery system, "said Pompeo.

This announcement comes after several failed rocket tests at the Iranian Space Center. The United States said the tests violated a UN Security Council resolution, as the rockets incorporated the same technology as that used for ballistic missiles.

President TrumpDonald John Trump Poll: 40% of voters do not think Trump will be reelected Mattis: "I'll talk about" policy issues "when the time comes", China contests Trump claims to be a source of fentanyl MORE On Friday, denied any US involvement after Iran's latest failure, appearing to sarcastically wish Tehran "good luck" to determine the cause.

"The United States of America was not involved in this catastrophic accident in the preparations for Safir SLV's final launch at Semnan's # 1 launch site in Iran," Trump said on Twitter, referring to the launch vehicle. Iranian space Safir. "I wish Iran all the best and good luck in determining what happened at Site One."

Iran maintained that the last launch had failed due to a technical problem.

"The explosion has occurred at the dashboard level and no satellite has yet been transferred to the dashboard," said Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei. last week, according to the Associated Press. "It happened on a test site, not on the launch site."

The already weak relations between Washington and Tehran began to deteriorate last year when President Trump withdrew the US-era nuclear pact from the Obama era, causing Iran to go beyond the limits of this agreement for its uranium enrichment. . The administration has since adopted a "maximum pressure" campaign against Tehran, applauding the sanctions imposed on the Iranian oil industry, the metallurgical sector, the foreign minister and the supreme leader to force him to return to the table. negotiations.

The United States also condemned Iran for its alleged role in bombing oil tankers in the strategic Strait of Hormuz and in the destruction of a US surveillance UAV. Trump approved a retaliatory strike on the drone in June, but aborted after being informed that 150 Iranians could be killed.