Iran's launch of a rocket capable of carrying a satellite was a "provocative act," a White House spokesman has said.

Asked for a reaction to Iran's announcement that it had launched a Kavoshgar-3 rocket, White House spokesman Bill Burton said the US was still checking to see if the launch had taken place.

"A launch like that is obviously a provocative act," Burton told reporters. "But 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." – Reuters