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The reformists are largely motivated by a technocratic elite in Iran and a faction of the Iranian bourgeoisie. These people are largely more affluent, have children in the west or who deal with large amounts of dollars comparatively to the rest of the country, and use western neoliberal economic theories. For these reasons many of them, particularly because of the Iranian bourgeoisie, have a material interest in the current state of affairs.

For example, Zarif, who was foreign minister of Iran for 8 years, has multiple children who are a part of one sanctions avoidance method. They hold accounts with millions of dollars in the UAE and Qatar, and are supposed to use those accounts to siphon dollars into the country, however they're easily bribed to just let it sit and live off the money. Also the US is aware of this situation and basically just allows it to happen. The reformists often have investments in property in Canada and London, while their children will often live and study in these western countries. To put it mildly, this section of the Iranian bourgeoisie has a material interest in a reaproachnment with the US and much less interest in pivoting East (for example, it would be harder for them to invest in property in China because the PRC will change its policies if that capital starts hurting the Chinese working class).

Now the Iranian bourgeoisie also doesn't want the country to become a western puppet, as that would lose them a lot of influence and capital, however it's also against their interest to progress towards a more soverign economy. So the situation ends up being this needless factional infighting because of their stubbornness and economic failure.

What needs to happen isn't the reformists waking up, they simply won't. What needs to occur is that the Principalist faction must mobilize the public into completely liquidating the reformists from the state apparatus. No more allowing them to run in elections, no more allowing them to parrot lies of reproachment, and seizing their assets for the sake of national sovereignty.