I’m glad Graeme Wood wrote this article, but it lacks one thing—recognition and acknowledgement that Xiyue Wang is correct in his assessment of Iran.  Maybe Wood’s insinuates that, but it needs to be stated clearly.  Either Wang is correct, or the Supreme Leader is correct.  It is okay to take sides in international relations, as the question of how to treat people is of paramount importance for a government.  See “The Princeton Historian Mugged by Reality,” Graeme Wood, The Atlantic, March 17, 2021.