The cheek of Iran

Iran is looking to expand its own ties to nuclear suppliers, secretly lobbying so it can legally import atomic material, according to documents made available Tuesday.
The move is sure to raise concerns among Arab nations already considering Iran the region's atomic arms threat.
Iran has never publicly acknowledged having nuclear weapons but is generally considered by Israel to possess them.
The new demand is reflected in papers Iran presented earlier this year to the "Nuclear Suppliers' Group" — 45 nations that export nuclear fuel and technology under strict rules meant to lessen the dangers of proliferation and trafficking in materials that could be used for a weapons program.
The initiative appeared to be linked to a U.S.-India deal that would effectively waive the group's rules by allowing the United States to supply India with nuclear fuel despite its refusal both to sign the non-proliferation treaty and allowing the IAEA to inspect all of its nuclear facilities.
Iranian officials began examining how their country could profit from the U.S.-India deal as early as last year, at one point proposing that the U.S. ask for an exemption from restrictions stipulating safeguards by the U.N. nuclear agency on all nuclear facilities, said a diplomat.
The U.S. rejected that request, he said, demanding anonymity for discussing restricted information