I think you are conflating performance of economic models with the study of economic systems. Economics is literally just the study of a real phenomenon that occurs in the world. It's a valid study to try and understand why it operates the way it does.
Cause that's an escalation. Iran is already dog-earred as the "adversary" in the media so saying they are as such isn't gonna piss them off any more than they already are. It's a political answer.