I do not believe Iran would have pursued nuclear research with such urgency where it not for Americas oil grab in Iraq. Iran likely has looked at what happened to two of Bushes 'Axis of Evil" and drawn the appropriate conclusion. Iraq disarmed and was invaded, North Korea produced and tested a nuclear weapon and is successfully blackmailing the world into propping up it's basket case economy. From Iran's point of view the ultimate hypocrisy must be the fact that Israel has a Nuclear arsenal thanks to the western world and the IAEA, the same organizations that are threatening sanctions or worst unless they cave and stop their nuclear program. If you want to talk about another elephant in the room it is Israel's 200+ warheads aimed at Arab cities. Small wonder that negotiations are going no where.