Correct, the current Iran is a sinking ship, the best case scenario is post islamic republic government being realistic and being open to economic cooperation from all side.
The opportunity for the Islamic republic to correct itself and build an economy capable of shouldering its conservative, religious identity has passed. Bring down Iran is one of the very few agenda trump did achieve.
Iran just slowly fucked themselves through absolute bullshit laws and adherence to "traditions".
It's obvious now why China made it such a priority to bring local Islam believers into having strong modern values.
Like what is the actual point behind ultra conservative nations enacting laws that are straight up hostile to their own citizens such as banning women from showing their faces or mandating forced birth after a pregnancy? It's lunacy.
Everyone benefits from having access more options. When the economical pie is bigger, you can afford making more cultural activities as well.
Conservatives worship a fake image of what they think the past was like. In that regard, all current cultures are "fake" because we only keep what is relevant. You don't see conservative Europeans or Chinese clamoring to get stuff back like witch burnings and foot bindings.
And even in Iran, these rules they have are not truly based on what real life was like during the era of Muhammed.
So how hard is it to moderate a fake image of the past that isn't actively hostile to the lives of the current generation?