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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