Iran conducts second missile test in less than 2 weeks

In less than two weeks, Iran has reportedly conducted another missile test on Wednesday (8 February) from the same launch pad that was used in the 29 January test. The previous test, however, resulted in a failure.

Although Iran's nuclear deal with the UN does not prohibit the country from conducting missile tests, the new US administration, led by President Donald Trump, strongly condemned the January missile test and responded with a new set of sanctions on the Muslim-majority nation.

The January test from the Semnan launch pad – located about 140 miles east of Iranian capital Tehran – came a few days after Trump imposed a travel ban on seven countries that included Iran..

The country test-fired a Khorramshahr medium-range ballistic missile, but it exploded after flying 600 miles. However, Tehran reportedly neither confirmed nor denied the test and only said that it will not target another country with its ballistic missiles.

On Wednesday, the country used the same launch pad to test a surface-to-air missile. It involved a short-range Mersad missile that impacted 35 miles away, a US official told Fox News.

US officials also said that the previous missile test at the Semnan launch pad was followed by a flurry of activity at the site.

The officials added that satellite images of the launch site showed that Iran had placed a Safir rocket to launch a satellite into space, but was taken off the launcher. The reason for withdrawing the launch remains unclear.