Iran's imperialism is both internal and external. Around half of the country in terms of both land and people are ethnic minorities who want independence. This includes Kurdistan, Baluchistan, Iranian Azerbaijan, and the Arabs in Khuzestan all have major separatist movements. So on top of funding, arming, and supporting terrorist proxy groups all over the middle east, they're also occupying these nations by force kind of like what China is doing with Tibet or Russia with Chechnya.

Of course, they're also oppressing the Persian majority as well, but these people see Iran as their country similar to how Russians see Russia as theirs even though they're against the regime.

Trump and MAGA are definitely mind numbingly incompetent, stupid, and corrupt, but I feel like they're a magnitude better than the mullahs. It sounds crazy to say, but it's true.

Iran is a BIG country with over 85 million people. It should be similar to Turkey or Germany in terms of political, cultural, and economic power but it's not. The reason? The regime decided to invest tens of billions of dollars since the 1980s to fund proxy groups across the middle east to destabilize the region, make enemies out of everyone, and enforce oppressive "morality" codes at home in accordance with islamic sharia law. This type shortsightedness is really hard to match.

Then you are ignorant or lack critical thinking skills, or maybe both.

No, Iran is definitely worse in every capacity, but you're still correct that this entire conflict is entirely run by deranged old men with fragile egos.