The US has virtually no need at all to fear Iran. Israel has more cause, but it still isn't nearly as dire as they are made to believe. Iran's government fears its people, and Israel is a good distraction. The plight of the Palestinians helps maintain the effectiveness of an anti-Israel stance by despots in the region. Netanyahu (and Romney last week) uses fear of Iran to look strong. It really doesn't need to be that way. The Iranian people are actually pretty fond of the US on the whole, and their government is in a precarious position. Persians harbor liberal history and culture. Without their government, the US and Iran could be close friends in a generation.
I think it's about "how we are ruled by the elite". Here in the US, instead of Barack passing the torch to one of his girls, or some generals running him out, every four years we get pandered to in a big advertisement money race. As a result, we get some of the things we want, and things are not altogether awful. Actually some things are pretty good. But change comes slow, and when something benefits those with money, regardless of how stupid and unfair it is, it's really hard to change it (see big advertisement money race). Some types of being "ruled by the elite" are far worse.