Iranians want more freedom…and nukes

Iran is a country divided, according to a new Zogby International poll of Iranians out today. Nearly a third of those polled want Iran to become more secular and liberal, whereas just over a third want the country to more religious and conservative. Nearly as many Iranians believe the government should expand freedoms (23%) as ...

607884_Iranfreedom5.jpg
607884_Iranfreedom5.jpg

Iran is a country divided, according to a new Zogby International poll of Iranians out today. Nearly a third of those polled want Iran to become more secular and liberal, whereas just over a third want the country to more religious and conservative.

Iran is a country divided, according to a new Zogby International poll of Iranians out today. Nearly a third of those polled want Iran to become more secular and liberal, whereas just over a third want the country to more religious and conservative.

Nearly as many Iranians believe the government should expand freedoms (23%) as think the country’s top priority should be developing an arsenal of nuclear weapons (27%). Unsurprisingly, many divisions are generational. But you may be surprised to learn that older Iranians are more likely to admire American society than younger Iranians. Just as interesting: Iranians with access to the Internet and satellite TV are much more likely to identify the United States as the country they admire most. And more than a third disagreed with the suggestion that Iranian nuclear weapons would make the Middle East a safer place. 

Worryingly, one point of consensus emerged: 

Carolyn O'Hara is a senior editor at Foreign Policy.

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