I despise the Iranian regime. Persians are generally notably undeserving of the regime that they’ve been saddled with:
Americans in Iran are generally regarded with a degree of skepticism, but not for the reason you might think. Iranians want to know what you’re doing in Iran, not because they suspect you of plotting a coup, but because they know American passport holders could spend their vacations anywhere else on earth (give or take a few tin-pot communist police states), and feel sorry for you.
And, admittedly, I kind of feel sorry for them. If I ever visited Iran (I have no plans to ever visit Iran while the current regime is running things) I’d be able to leave. Most Iranians can’t. And, honestly, they shouldn’t have to, just to enjoy the life that I enjoy. It’s a strange, confusing dictatorship that they have over there, but it’s very real.
Via @SonnyBunch.