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Iran's recent announcement about the successful launch of a small monkey into space was greeted with a healthy dose of skepticism when pictures of the creature in its custom "car seat" first surfaced online, The Huffington Post reported. 

But now, experts have stepped up their criticism of Iran's claim, with several scientists reporting that the space monkey could be a fraud.

The reports began circulating after images from a press conference showed a monkey that appeared markedly different than the one pictured getting strapped into the rocket, The Telegraph reports.

The monkey strapped into the rocket appears to have light fur and a distinctive mole above its right eye. Yet, pictures of the monkey shown at the press conference appear to have darker fur. However, it's possible the differences are a result of different lighting and angles.

Iranian missile expert Michael Elleman told The Sun that there had never been any independent confirmation that the launch happened in the first place, and several experts expressed similar doubts to BuzzFeed's Rosie Gray.