Video games these days are increasingly becoming a part of the political scene, whether deliberately or in some cases because they get dragged into the controversy. Last week we reported that supporters of Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez were angered by the message implicated by Pandemic's Mercenaries 2. Now another political storm is brewing, this time in Iran.

A number of online news agencies, including Reuters, which cites the Fars news agency, are reporting that Iranians are developing a video game about building up nuclear weapons—a real-life situation that the U.S. has been keeping a close eye on even as conflict continues in Iraq.

According to Reuters, the game, which is being designed by students from the Union of Islamic Student Societies, deals with an Iranian atomic scientist "Doctor Kousha" who goes on a pilgrimage to the Shi'ite Muslim holy city of Kerbala in Iraq where he is seized by U.S. troops. As Iranian special forces hero Commander Bahman, the player must rescue the country's top atomic scientist so that he can continue with his nuclear activities.

It's been suggested that the game is being created as a response to "U.S. attacks Iran" or "Assault on Iran" from Kuma Reality Games, which gave U.S. players the mission to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities. The Kuma title angered many Iranians, and sparked a petition in Iran asking that the game be taken off the market.

Iran and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad insist that the country's nuclear work is peaceful and is not intended for the creation of atomic weapons, but the U.S. and its Western allies remain skeptical.

The "Commander Bahman" game is expected to be released by March 2007, if not earlier.