Ayatollahs whom ruled Iran since 1979 had depended on its military org as enforcers of their Rule. There exists NO Rule of Law in Iran since then. Only jungle laws rule - the strongest survive, by the military whom saw evidences of how they can at the basic keep their jobs & prestige, as well as the religious clerics whom saw where their next meal can come from, & worse - how ACCOUNTABILITY for one's mortal actions, especially over failures, with just MERE words of Insha Allah - Will of Allah.....a case of credit that a mortal will take fully & capitalize upon for job & food security, but attributing failures as Will of Allah......thus are such how Religion is a powerful tool to fool & control the masses....
What the Ayatollahs in the face of widespread discontent in Iran that saw NO uplifting of lives but slavery & torture, of their own & fellow Humans worldwide, would say NOW may be sincere, but at the same time, it may be to save their skins.
It is WHAT the Iranian MILITARY enforcers whom say that would truly matters. They had been found out despite acting as mercenary outfits in Lebanon, Syria, Palestine & worldwide, as proxies of Shia Ayatollahs in their struggles against Sunnis for RELIGIOUS SUPREMACY, & not only lost their lives in battles, face defeats in every corner, lost billions in support thru their oil/gas wealth, neglected uplifting of lives in their own country, & worse - caused horrific deaths, even if unintended in the middle east & to our modern world....
The insignificant nobody DO respect Ali - chosen by prophet Muhammad to lead the barbaric nomadic Arabian tribes to evolution than beyond being brutal caravan robbers, kidnappers & more in the harsh desert sands of Arabia...
He was an evolved Human, a brave man whom never fear challenges, & a kind man as well, in the mould of the divine teacher prophet Muhammad, and thus was chosen, but he was born far ahead of his time, & Allah knows best - the barbarisms of such tribes NEWLY turned converts would take time to change & NOT overnite, & as proven, the rest is history, & we Humanity are witnessing it....
In the end, it WILL BE BY ACTIONS, more so by those whom are truly in charge by force of arms, NOT MERE WORDS that trust is given....