It is unfortunate that western countries are caught in a 'group think' bubble when looking at Iran (ie. Axis of Evil), without really analyzing Iran's actions versus US name-calling. 
If one compares Iran's actions against those of Saudi Arabia (eg. 9/11 attackers, support for ISIS and other extremist groups, spread of Wahabist doctrine in Western and Middle East countries, leading the onslaught on Yeman, suppression of domestic and foreign Sunnis, etc.) one could easily make a case for friend versus foe. Yes, Iran has an abysmal record on human rights and religious intolerance. It also supports Hamas and Hezbollah. But those pale in comparison to what Saudi Arabia has done and is still doing. 
Perhaps it is time for an in depth evaluation of the conflicts in the Middle East instead of merely following the path that Bush, Netanyahu and Blair staked out many years ago.