state sponsored sectarianism.
How you define sectarianism, as well as a sectarian state? Would you say that organizing the governing principle of a state around the beliefs at least nominally held by the overwhelming majority of the population (over 90% in fact, and even more in the early years of the Revolution), is itself an act of sectarianism? If so, is there no justification to this sort of 'sectarianism', as opposed to say, takfir, persecution and terrorism (wherever these occur)?
As concerns access to governmental functions, Sunni Muslims are quite proportionally represented in Iranian state institutions and bodies. So here there's not too much of a difference.
Please also note that a Sunni alim was among the handful of jurists who wrote down the current Iranian Constitution after the 1979 Revolution.
At the end of the day, it appears that the state which you consider to be a sectarian one, has had a superior record in ensuring the security of its citizens who belong to minority sects... In fact since 1979, there has not been a single targeted armed attack against Iranians of Sunni Muslim faith, whether from the state or from terrorist groups.
When it comes to Iran's foreign policy, in my previous post the numerous instances of Iranian support for the struggles of Sunni Muslim nations are mentioned, from Bosnia to Palestine and Kurds of Iraq threatened by "I"SIS.
