In Britain and Canada, respondents prefer direct diplomatic negotiations, while one-in-four Americans support air strikes or a full-scale invasion.
A majority of respondents in the United States, Britain and Canada believe Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, but respondents are divided on how to approach the issue at this time, a new three-country Angus Reid Public Opinion poll has found.
The online survey of representative national samples also found that three-in-four respondents in each one of the countries surveyed (79% in Britain, 78% in the U.S. and 74% in Canada) hold an unfavourable opinion of Iran.
The poll was conducted after Iran failed to agree to a proposal by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which called on Iran to transfer low-enriched uranium abroad for processing to turn it into fuel-making uranium.
Two-thirds of respondents in Canada (66%) believe the Government of Iran is attempting to develop nuclear weapons. The sentiment is echoed by 63 per cent of Britons, and 71 per cent of Americans.
Respondents were provided with five possible scenarios to deal with Iran at this time. Only five per cent of Britons, four per cent of Americans and four per cent of Canadians believe Iran poses no threat to the world and nothing should be done.
Half of Britons (52%) and two-in-five Canadians (44%) would engage Iran in direct diplomatic negotiations, a view shared by just 26 per cent of Americans.
Imposing economic sanctions against Iran is supported by roughly the same proportion of respondents in each one of the three countries surveyed (21% in the U.S., and 18% in both Britain and Canada).
In the U.S., 17 per cent of respondents would launch military strikes to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities. Eleven per cent of Canadians and six per cent of Britons agree with this course of action.
Finally, nine per cent of Americans, six per cent of Canadians and five per cent of Britons would authorize a full-scale invasion of Iran to remove the current government.
Full Report, Detailed Tables and Methodology (PDF)
CONTACT:
Mario Canseco, Vice President, Public Affairs
+604 647 3570
mario.canseco@angus-reid.com
Andy Morris, Research Director, London
+ 44-203-178-3952
andy.morris@angus-reid.com
I am so afraid of nuclear weapons. I hope this is not true. I am going to be so happy when our troops come home. I hate the thought of war.
I believe that Iran are hell bent on achieving nuclear weapons and if this is allowed to happen woe betide the world.
I have lived in Iran and the majority of the people are peace and freedom loving people,but unfortunately the re-introduction of Ayatollah Khomenei in 1978 to lead the country and rule it with strict religous laws led to the people being supressed and without a voice and I believe the religous fervour the ruling body create will lead them on the path of Muslim supremacy and Israel will be the first to suffer and then the western world
Of course Iran want nuclear weapons, so do most countries. It is what they are used for that is the question.Jack must know through his experience that there are plenty of Iranians opposed to the current regime and the mudslinging typical of fundamentalist factions.Their women have shown brave opposition to the misogynistic rulers and perhaps their spirits can be encouraged by the ‘free world ‘ to undermine and motivate others to vote substantially against the existing government, which showed signs of happening at the last “election”
NO WARS NO WEAPONS
I find it quite amazing how uneducated most people are about other countries…..I have lived and worked in Iran and found it to be quite a nice place indeed. The people were wonderful and the general feeling is that no one there wants to be an Islamic Republic they just want it back how it was before.
I do sincerely believe that if America and Briton are to engage in any wars against terrorism then they should fight fire with fire and take the bible to its word (NO Im not a religious nut!) and just drop a nuke on one Iran, Afghanistan or Iraq just to prove a point and to make the idiots behave.
The world wouldn’t really miss a few million Muslims they breed like rats anyway.
We shouldn’t have believed the lie about the weapons – it’s cost to many young soldier’s lives. But getting rid of a tyrant was needed.
What a dumb question to ask for a survey!? Iran and practically every other country in the world wants nuclear power. What most people dont understand is that building weapons is different from making energy. Its the same means to different ends. Most countries want nuclear energy because it is safe, reliable and very efficient. And if a country has the resources and its people badly need it then what is wrong with it? In Canada almost 50% of energy comes from nuclear sources. Pakistan, India, Israel and South Korea who already have nukes don’t get lambasted by the rest of the world when they are much more dangerous than this poor nation which is only in the media now because the US and its allies cant stand that a country can actually point out their flaws. Iran has always been a friendly nation in the past, before and after the religious rule. It has the world’s second largest population of Jews. It presents the most opportunities for its women , in government and elsewhere. It is a poor nation, with only a few resources (just like the other countries in the region) that it can exploit and use for its citizens. Protests are not new to any nation and then theres counter-protests. They happen everywhere. The media just picks one side and does not show the other. People who answered this survey need to inform themselves about the world better than what their current media does.