White House calls Iran's rocket test-fire "provocative"

"A launch like that is obviously a provocative act," White House spokesman Bill Burton said, noting the United States was still checking to see if the launch had taken place.

"The president believes that it is not too late for Iran to do the right thing -- come to the table with the international community and live up to its international obligations," Burton said.

Iran's English-language satellite channel Press TV reported earlier in the day a "Kavosh 3" (Explore 3) rocket carrying an " experimental capsule" has been successfully test-fired and will transfer telemetric data, live pictures and flight and environmental analysis data.

Because satellite rockets share the same technology with ballistic missiles, Iran's new announcement caused concern in the West.

France has already voiced such concern, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Bernard Valero warning the launch "can only intensify the concerns of the international community" that Iran is trying to "develop a nuclear program in parallel."

/Xinhua/