Early Saturday, residents of Tehran and Karaj in neighbouring Alborz province shared footage showing the object leaving a trail in the sky.

Local news agency Tasnim later reported that the "luminous object" and its trail were connected to a "field test" conducted by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps.

Some online users described the object as a "missile", but neither the report nor the Guards provided details about the nature of the test.

The Revolutionary Guards, particularly its aerospace force, play a significant role in Iran's missile program, which has drawn criticism from Western nations.

In October, the unit launched a barrage of missiles at Israel in Iran's second-ever attack on its arch-foe, prompting Israeli retaliation against its military sites.