Worst of regimes

Iran regime is lousy but its reformers are the worst elements in it, just as the reformers and Western government-approved dissidents were the worst part of the Soviet Union.  You can always adhere to this formula: US always picks the worst regime in a conflict of two or more, and the US always picks an opposition movement worse than a particular regime, if it does not support that lousy regime.  The US never supports an alternative to a regime unless it is by far worse.  Apply to any case or to any region of the world.