Research Snapshot
Understanding how Iranian citizens view security, economics, domestic politics and diplomacy is essential for effective policymaking. CISSM’s Iran Public Opinion Project examines how public attitudes inside Iran inform elite-level decision-making and respond to external stimuli, including sanctions, military pressure and diplomacy.
Relations between Iran, the major powers and regional actors drive some of the Middle East’s most vexing security challenges. Yet debates about how to constrain Iran’s nuclear and missile programs, reduce regional tensions and support civil society often rely on untested assumptions about what issues Iranians prioritize, what policy options they support and what their red lines are. This project provides empirical evidence on Iranian public opinion to illuminate how domestic political dynamics affect national and international policy outcomes.
More About the Project
Illustrative research questions include:
- How does the Iranian public interpret the actions and motivations of the United States, Europe, China, Russia, and regional actors?
- How do sanctions, military threats, and diplomatic initiatives shape public attitudes inside Iran?
- What types of nuclear limits and transparency measures would the Iranian public support in return for sanctions relief and security assurances?
- How do economic, social, and religious factors shape Iranians’ political preferences and electoral behavior?
Since 2014, CISSM-affiliated researchers have conducted nationally representative random sample surveys in Iran, often multiple times per year, to track how public attitudes evolve over time. Such surveys are particularly valuable in a large and diverse country like Iran because researchers can measure public attitudes systematically rather than relying on assumptions, anecdotal impressions or social networks that are self-selected. As Nancy Gallagher, CISSM director and research lead, notes, this work helps ensure that the “people of Iran speak for themselves rather than having someone else speak for them.”
Related CISSM research has examined media narratives about Iran, used public consultations to assess American attitudes toward the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran and facilitated dialogue between American and Iranian religious leaders.
Featured Studies
CISSM Experts on Security Cooperation with Iran
Iran-Related CISSM Public Opinion Polling
Iranian Public Opinion Soon After the Twelve-Day War | DECEMBER 20, 2025
Iranian Public Opinion in the Early Days of the Pezeshkian Administration | MAY 23, 2025
The Raisi Period: Iranian Public Attitudes on Domestic Issues | JUNE 23, 2024
Iranian Public Opinion on the War in Ukraine and Nuclear Options | AUGUST 15, 2022
Iranian Public Opinion at the Start of the Raisi Administration | OCTOBER 18, 2021
Iranian Public Opinion at the Start of the Biden Administration | FEBRUARY 24, 2021
Iranian Public Opinion under 'Maximum Pressure' | OCTOBER 16, 2019
Iranian Public Opinion after the Protests | JULY 9, 2018
The Ramifications of Rouhani's Re-election | JULY 28, 2017
Iranian Attitudes on Iranian-U.S. Relations in the Trump Era | JANUARY 25, 2017
Iranian Public Opinion, One Year after the Nuclear Deal | JULY 13, 2016
Iranian Public Attitudes Before & After Parliamentary Elections | MARCH 31, 2016
Iranian Attitudes in Advance of the Parliamentary Elections: Economics, Politics, and Foreign Affairs | FEBRUARY 3, 2016
Iranian Public Opinion on the Nuclear Agreement | SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
Iranian Public Opinion on the Nuclear Negotiations | JUNE 23, 2015
Iranian Attitudes on Nuclear Negotiations | SEPTEMBER 17, 2014
Most Americans Oppose Withdrawing From Iran Deal | DECEMBER 19, 2016
Assessing the Iran Deal | SEPTEMBER 1, 2015
Negotiations with Iran: Views from a Red State, a Blue State and a Swing State | JUNE 24, 2015
Americans on Negotiations with Iran: A Policymaking Simulation | JULY 15, 2014