throughout the Middle East was revealed to be a Russian missile test, the deputy commander of the Pasdaran said the UFO most likely was a “failed” missile test by either Russia or the United States.
The Russians said it was a successful test of their new Topol-M missile.
The missile appeared as a bright and luminous object in the sky from Cyprus to Afghanistan the night of Thursday, June 7. Residents of several countries called 
Hours later, Russia announced the missile launch. That announcement quieted speculation and conspiracy theories everywhere—except in the Islamic Republic, where Defense Minister Ahmad Vahidi announced the government would investigate.
On Sunday, 10 days after the missile launch, Brigadier General Hossain Salami, the deputy chief of the Pasdaran, told reporters that identifying the bright object was “difficult.” But, he said, “The existing evidence and assumptions point to the possibility of an unsuccessful test of a long-range ballistic missile by either the Russians or the Americans.”
He said it was more likely a Russian missile. He didn’t explain why he would think a test of an American missile, which is done on the opposite side of the earth, could light up the night sky in the Middle East.
He also did not explain why he found it “difficult” to ascertain the origin of the bright object when the rest of the world had been satisfied within hours that it was the announced Russian missile test.
Nor did he explain why he concluded that if it was a missile test, it was a failed test. Russia said it was fully successful.
An Israeli scientist explained that a missile launched shortly after sunset will rise over the horizon and its exhaust gases will then be backlit by the sun so they are visible to people on the ground in the dark.