>>508428369 (OP)You're absolutely right and it's insane how western media makes it look otherwise.
I've been married with an iranian woman for a decade now and I've visited her family many times. Mostly in Tehran, but I have visited both north and south. I have learned the language (somewhat), I have many iranian friends, and would say I have a fairly good understanding of Iran in general.
Urbanite Iranians don't love their government and would love to see it replaced with a liberal democracy, but they want it to be an organic change. Whenever things start to look better, Israel or the US does something to ruin it. During the days of the Obama nuclear deal there was a lot of optimism. Even recently, last time I was in Tehran, the majority of young women weren't covering their hair. But then some evil external force always comes to ruin it and the dictatorship becomes stronger again. The harsh sanctions facilitate corruption to a crazy degree and the men in power become filthy rich.
What's happening now is such a shitshow and it makes me incredibly sad.
The diaspora Iranians are often completely disconnected from their home country. They don't ever visit it, often because some bullshit excuse like "omg they'd arrest me and kill me". No they won't, they dont care about you.
If they still had contact with any actual iranians they wouldn't want them to be bombed.
Anyway, everyone are showing their true colors now. It's quite divisive in the diaspora community. Lot's of facebook friends and instagram connections are being blocked these days.