The CIA pulled off a coup in Iran in 1953 and it pushed people to the mullahs as sort of a sub-political party and made them religious fanatics and very antiamerican. The CIA is responsible for a lot of the problems in Iran.
Because they became so antiamerican they became friendly with the other very antiamerican country of North Korea. Even though their poltical classes ruled very differently they bonded over their nationalism and their hatred for America. Ayatollah khamenei even visited North Korea in the late 80's.