(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Most adults in the United States remain convinced that Iran’s nuclear program is not peaceful, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 77 per cent of respondents think Iran intends to develop nuclear weapons.
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) – Most adults in the United States remain convinced that Iran’s nuclear program is not peaceful, according to a poll by Rasmussen Reports. 77 per cent of respondents think Iran intends to develop nuclear weapons.
In addition, 33 per cent of respondents expect bilateral relations between the U.S. and Iran to get better over the coming year, while 36 per cent expect them to worsen.
After being branded as part of an "axis of evil" by then U.S. president George W. Bush in January 2002, Iran has contended that its nuclear program aims to produce energy, not weapons. In June 2005, former Tehran mayor Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won Iran’s presidential election in a run-off over Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani with 61.6 per cent of all cast ballots.
In December 2006 and March 2007, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) imposed sanctions against Iran after it failed to stop uranium enrichment—a process needed both to make nuclear weapons and produce electricity.
In October 2007, Bush announced a new set of unilateral sanctions against Iran, which include the designations of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps as a "proliferator of weapons of mass destruction" and of the elite Quds Force as a "supporter of terrorism." The resolution has significant economic implications for Iran.
In American elections, candidates require 270 votes in the Electoral College to win the White House. In November 2008, Democratic nominee Barack Obama secured a majority of electoral votes, defeating Republican candidate John McCain. On Jan. 20, Obama became the first African American president in U.S. history. Bush—a Republican—served two four-year terms.
On Jan. 26, Obama discussed his views on Iran, saying, "As I said in my inauguration speech, if countries like Iran are willing to unclench their fist, they will find an extended hand from us. It is very important for us to make sure that we are using all the tools of U.S. power, including diplomacy, in our relationship with Iran."
On Feb. 2, Iranian parliamentary speaker Ali Larijani reacted to Obama’s recent statements, saying, "He had a new approach to the Islamic world, but some media release of his words contradicted with whatever he had already stated. It is better for those who claim the development of new approach to explain some of it. The new U.S. president must untie the knots to prove that there has emerged a new rationality for peace and stability in the region."
Polling Data
Iran says its uranium enrichment program is for peaceful energy purposes. The U.S., Israel and the European Union believe it is intended to develop nuclear weapons. Do you believe Iran’s nuclear program is for energy purposes or for weapons development?
|
Energy purposes |
6% |
|
Weapons development |
77% |
|
Not sure |
17% |
Over the coming year, will relations between Iran and the United States get better or worse?
|
Better |
33% |
|
Worse |
36% |
|
About the same |
17% |
|
Not sure |
14% |
Source: Rasmussen Reports
Methodology: Telephone interviews with 1,000 American likely voters, conducted on Jan. 29 and Jan. 30, 2009. Margin of error is 3 per cent.
