The New York Times has a piece out today on the Iranian announcement that it has put a satellite into orbit. The problem is the only confirmation for the story is from the always suspect state-sponsored Iranian media arm, IRNA.

LONDON — Iran said Tuesday it had launched what it described as its first satellite produced domestically as part of an effort to build a space industry.
The launch on Monday, coinciding with celebrations marking the 30th anniversary of the Islamic revolution, came at a time when the United States and other powers are worried about Iran’s nuclear ambitions and its deployment of long-range ballistic missiles with potential military uses.
It also came soon after President Obama struck a conciliatory tone toward Iran, conditionally offering dialogue after years of increasing tension over fears that Tehran wants to develop nuclear missiles — which Iran’s leaders deny.
The official news agency, IRNA, said the satellite was launched using a Safir-2 rocket and was “successfully set into orbit.”

Putting aside for a second the complete unreliability of IRNA (MB coverage of IRNA here), there was this paragraph in the Times:

Last August, Iran test-fired a new rocket capable of carrying a satellite into orbit. Western experts said at the time that the launching represented a potentially significant, if much-delayed, step in Iran’s efforts to join the international space club.

What the Times doesn’t tell its readers is that launch in August was a failure. Reuters:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Iran’s attempted satellite launch was a failure that fell far short of claimed successes, U.S. security officials said on Tuesday, but an analyst said the test still marked progress toward a potential weapon.
“The attempted launch failed,” a U.S. intelligence official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“The vehicle failed shortly after liftoff and in no way reached its intended position,” the official said. “It could be characterized as a dramatic failure.”
A U.S. defense official gave a similar characterization of the test as unsuccessful.

Let’s see if today’s news pans out, but I doubt it.