I know it's hyperbole. Still, I'm inclined to believe it's, at the very least, headed that way.

My Persian-immigrant says the USA is not the same country of which he thought he had become a citizen. However, he often takes exception to such declarations (usually from me or our son 🤷‍♀️).

He'll tell us that for all its ills, America is still a place where you can say something like that with impunity. Such hyperbole against the state in Iran will bring a death sentence – Iran is right now meting out death sentences to people who dare to speak ill of the state. He also says that some of Iran's neighbors are horrible by Iran's standards.