A majority of Iranians back the country’s nuclear program

Approximately 94 percent of Iranians say their country needs a nuclear energy program. On Monday (September 22), Kayhan newspaper put the results of an opinion poll reported by Agence France Presse (AFP) in its special news column.

The poll conducted by the University of Tehran Center for Public Opinion Research and the Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland interviewed 1,037 Iranians by telephone between July 11 and 17.

Based on the survey’s results, while 79 percent of those interviewed said they would back a deal which even included Iranian assurances never to produce an atomic bomb, a large majority admitted demands such as dismantling half of Iran’s centrifuges and limiting nuclear research would be unacceptable.

The poll showed that three-quarters of those asked said they believe America would find some other excuses to impose sanctions, fearing the United States dominate or block its development.

And finally the results show that Iranians are divided about the likelihood of success in the negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. A large majority say they would not blame Iranian officials if the talks fail.