@Vern, but have you ever visited Iran? Me, no. Caucasian women married to Iranians told me that one had to cover the hair, wear long sleeves, and jeans were totally OK. Pahlavi's widow was attending a mosque with her hair uncovered. I know Iranian women who told me that Iranian youth were drinking and smoking in the houses.
Of course, things have become more conservative. But they kicked out Reza Pahlavi twice! Now they seem to be tired of the clerics, but whomever they want or don't, the person has to be their choice. I think they won't accept any from us.
I think that like with any other country, we can't generalize. Iran has big cities and own "redneck" areas. Tehran, Isfahan or Shiraz are likely populated by more liberally-minded people. In rural areas, people are more conservative.
Likewise, it is absolutely unreasonable to compare Khmers Rouges with Iranians. Pol Pot was educated and trained by French communists. If you then try to use the "class struggle" theory in a classless (agrarian) society, you'll end up in killing 3 millions in 4 years. But the world had a strange attitude to Pol Pot and Khmers Rouges. No one protested, no one invaded Cambodia. Worse, Khmers Rouges kept place in the UN till 1993, being ousted of power in 1979.
No one in the world has the right to mention Pol Pot, except for Vietnam. US tolerated Pol Pot - Ieng Sary's regime because Cambodia was the adversary of Vietnam. USSR almost never mentioned them (wish to avoid conflicts with China + obnoxious, but still communists, perhaps?). Western Europe kept quiet because Pol Pot was raised on French progressive ideas. China.. we know.
So, no, Iran has a very different head count and it is a state based on religion, not on communism. Not even close.
Hezbollah is technically not Iran and they haven't arrived to the US.
