WASHINGTON ¨C Iranian officials sometimes respond to accusations that Tehran is seeking a nuclear weapons capability by replying that not only do they not want a bomb but that they¡¯d actually like to see a nuclear-weapons-free Middle East.
Yes, this is surely in part a deflection, meant to shift attention away from concerns about Iran¡¯s nuclear activities by not-so-subtly nodding to the one country in the region that does have nuclear weapons: Israel. Could Iran have a point?
Is there something hypocritical about the world tolerating Israel¡¯s nuclear arsenal, which the country does not officially acknowledge but has been publicly known for decades, and yet punishing Iran with severe economic sanctions just for its suspected steps toward a weapons program?
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