No it is not ironic if and if you know whom "those" refers to .... for example during Iran-Iraq war Americans were providing Saddam Houssain by satellite footage and intelligence ...base upon recently released documents they were fully aware of this fact that Saddam were using them for precise chemical attacks against Iranian civilians and heavy irony is one of the main reasons that American used to justify Iraq war in 2003 was Iraqi weapon of mass destruction ...
What does it have with Iran having fair and free election? irony is some of the Persian gulf Arabs even don't have any constitution to begin with let alone to have free and fair elections , Iran has held at least 38 elections since Islamic revolution and turnout have been always high .... surly we have a long journey and we need to work harder and harder to develop our democracy but in comparison by aforementioned Persian gulfs Arabs Iran is galaxy ahead ...
What Iran says is exactly what you said , the meaning of a fair and free election is no one except Syrian have any right and authority to decide on behalf of Syrian people:
it's what I said earlier in this thread:
"...No one on this planet except Syrian people have right to talk about the future of Syria .the root of the ongoing conflict in this country is the idea that the other have right to impose their own idea and agenda on Syrians , someone who are not Syrian wanna make decision on behalf of Syrians ... not Iranians not Americans not Saudis or Turkish nor other nations could dictate the other nation what they should do ...."