How exactly is Iran worse than Saudi Arabia again?

They both are undemocratic theocracies.

They both export religious extremism often manifesting as terrorism.

Both are involved militarily in neighboring countries.

They both are major human rights violators.

They both oppress women and gay people.

They both are in the top 5 of nations performing executions.

Yet we, the US, arm Saudi Arabia to the teeth but consider it destabilizing if Iran, a nation of 77.5 million people, also buy arms?

And still, it seems, is insisting on at least partial non-disclosure.

One routinely has state-supported groups chanting "Death to America" and the current government was mixed up with a rather nasty hostage situation that it still seems to regard as a national honor. Quite paranoid, that one.


The other was behind an oil embargo. But the various terrorist acts that its citizens have been involved in aren't held up as points of pride, and seldom does it cry "Death to America." Mostly it just wants money so it can more discretely spread Islam (their version, of course; it would be unreasonable to have them spread some other version).

is exactly like having to choose between Hitler and Stalin. Both were human filth.

Not what the US wants, but US aggression in Syria has brought this about. As usual, we have made things worse than they were before.