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فارسی | GAMAAN | The Group for Analyzing and Measuring Attitudes in IRAN

Report

Iranians’ Attitudes toward International Relations: A ۲۰۲۱ Survey Report

October 27, 2021

What do Iranians think about other countries? What is their stance on the nuclear deal? Find here the full English report and methodology of GAMAAN’s Survey on Iranians’ Attitudes toward International Relations.

Survey Summary

  • The survey titled “Iranians’ Attitudes toward International Relations” was conducted September 21-30, 2021. Around 23 thousand respondents participated in the study. The final sample used in this report consisted of 20,097 Iranians living inside Iran. This study’s findings reflect the views of literate Iranian residents aged above 19 or 85% of Iran’s adult population. The results can be generalized to the target population with a 95% credibility level and credibility intervals of 5%.
  • According to this survey, 86% of the population believe that “domestic inefficiency and corruption” have had the worst impact on the Iranian economy’s current state. On the other hand, about 10% believe that “foreign sanctions and pressures” are the main cause of the current state of Iran’s economy.
  • Over half of the population agree that disputed matters in addition to the nuclear program should be negotiated with the West to revive the JCPOA. About 42% of the population also think that the JCPOA agreement benefitted the Iranian people before the USA withdrew from it, while 37% disagree with this view.
  • 56% agree with Iran having a nuclear program for exclusively peaceful purposes. About 11% agree with developing a nuclear weapon, while 27% entirely oppose a nuclear program.
  • 55% agree with suspending uranium enrichment to lift sanctions. About 27%, on the other hand, believe that Iran should continue to enrich uranium, even if that entails the sanctions regime’s continuation.
  • 37% said to agree with Iran’s ballistic-missile development program if it does not lead to sanctions. On the other hand, 26% agree with the missile program, even if sanctions are imposed in response. About 28% entirely oppose the missile development plan.
  • Regarding other countries’ and international institutions’ favorability, 52% said to have a positive view of the USA while 39% have a negative view; 35% viewed Israel positively versus 48% negatively; 49% have a positive view of the EU and 38% have a negative view; 25% have a positive view of Russia and 27% of China, while respectively 65% and 66% have a negative view; 27% have a positive view of Saudi Arabia while 57% have a negative view; 25% expressed a positive view and 63% a negative view of the United Kingdom; respectively 47% and 62% expressed a positive view of the United Nations and the World Health Organization.
  • In response to the question, “Which USA president’s foreign policy has most benefitted the Iranian people?”, only 7% selected Joe Biden versus 29% who chose Donald Trump. 49% said neither president’s foreign policy benefitted the Iranian people.
  • 47% consider the USA’s withdrawal from Afghanistan to be detrimental to regional security, while 26% have the opposite view.
  • 71% oppose the “Iran-China 25-year Cooperation Program” and also 71% oppose the “agreement between Iran and Russia regarding the legal regime of the Caspian Sea”, while 13% favor the latter. 66% oppose the “20-year Cooperation Treaty between Iran and Russia” and 15% support the agreement.
  • 61% believe that world powers should monitor and, if necessary, take actions in response to the human rights situation in Iran. About 15% believe that world powers should not interfere in this matter, while 13% say that world powers should restrain themselves to monitoring and reporting.
  • 57% evaluate Iran’s role in Syria in recent years negatively and 26% evaluate it positively. About 34% believe that the IRGC’s Quds Force’s regional activity has increased Iran’s security. In contrast, 32% think these measures reduce Iran’s security, and 21% think they have had no effect on Iran’s security.
  • 73% express their opposition to the public chanting of “Death to America”, while 18% favor it. 65% oppose “Death to Israel”, while 23% favor it. 64% agree with “Neither Gaza, nor Lebanon, I sacrifice my life for Iran”, while 24% oppose it. 73% agree with “Our enemy is right here, they lie that it’s the USA”, while 15% oppose it.
  • About 70% of the population oppose the Islamic Republic of Iran’s approach to Hezbollah in Lebanon, Hamas in Palestine, Al-Hashd al-Shaabi in Iraq, the Houthis in Yemen, and Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria, while about 21% agree with Iran’s approach to these groups.
  • Regarding the tension between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Israel, about 53% consider the probability of a direct military conflict between the two countries to be low, while 32% believe that the possibility of a direct military conflict is high.
  • The results of this poll show that about 32% participated in the June 2021 presidential election and that 23% of the eligible voters chose Ebrahim Raisi. Also, about 5% of eligible voters cast blank ballots.
  • Regarding Iranians’ political orientation, 35% want the overthrow of the Islamic Republic, 24% prefer structural changes and a transition from the Islamic Republic, while 16% want to preserve the principles and values of the revolution, and 12% seek reforms within the Islamic Republic. 13% selected none of these options.