One year after the nuclear deal was reached, Iranians’ views of the United States have not improved, according to a new poll by the University of Maryland. As of June 2016, 73 percent of Iranians had a negative view of the United States. About the same percentage thought Washington was actively preventing other countries from strengthening economic ties to Iran.
Support for bilateral cooperation with the United States on a variety of issues was lower than in the past. “For the first time since the summer of 2014, a majority (54 percent) of Iranians now oppose cooperation with the United States against ISIS in Iraq, compared with a majority (59 percent) of Iranians who approved of such collaborations shortly after the nuclear deal was reached” in July 2015, according to the poll report.
The telephone poll of 1,007 Iranians was conducted June 17–27, 2016, for Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland by IranPoll.com. The following is a rundown of key results on the United States.
What is your view of the United States?
July 2014 | May 2015 | August 2015 | January 2016 | June 2016 | |
Very favorable | 9% | 7.9% | 8.6% | 7.8% | 5.5% |
Somewhat favorable | 19 | 20.4 | 22.6 | 20.5 | 21.1 |
Somewhat unfavorable | 13 | 16.9 | 14.3 | 16.5 | 14.2 |
Very unfavorable | 58 | 53.2 | 52.3 | 54.2 | 58.7 |
DK/NA | 2 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 1.0 | .6 |
How about the U.S. government? Is it:
July 2014 | May 2015 | January 2016 | June 2016 | |
Very favorable | 4% | 2.5% | 1.7% | 2.2% |
Somewhat favorable | 9 | 8.6 | 8.1 | 8.8 |
Somewhat unfavorable | 14 | 12.6 | 14.5 | 14.8 |
Very unfavorable | 70 | 73.4 | 73.6 | 72.6 |
DK/NA | 3 | 2.9 | 2.1 | 1.6 |
How about the American people?
July 2014 | May 2015 | January 2016 | June 2016 | |
Very favorable | 12% | 12.2% | 12.5% | 11,5% |
Somewhat favorable | 38 | 40.1 | 40.3 | 39.6 |
Somewhat unfavorable | 16 | 15.6 | 17.1 | 17.1 |
Very unfavorable | 29 | 26.8 | 26.2 | 28.7 |
DK/NA | 5 | 5.4 | 3.9 | 3.1 |
Do you expect that in the next three years, Iran's relationship with the United States will in general:
January 2016 | June 2016 | |
Significantly improve | 12.4% | 9.9% |
Slightly improve | 25.9 | 21.5 |
Stayed the same | 35.6 | 45.8 |
Slightly worsen | 12.4 | 10.5 |
Significantly worsen | 8.1 | 8.0 |
DK/NA | 5.7 | 4.2 |
To have greater cultural, educational, and sporting exchanges
July 2014 | June 2016 | |
Fully support | 31.7 | 27.7% |
Somewhat support | 42.5 | 40.7 |
Somewhat oppose | 9.4 | 11.1 |
Fully oppose | 14.1 | 18.1 |
DK/NA | 2.3 | 2.4 |
To provide more access for each other's journalists
July 2014 | June 2016 | |
Fully support | 33.5% | 27.7% |
Somewhat support | 47.3 | 46.7 |
Somewhat oppose | 6.8 | 10.3 |
Fully oppose | 8.4 | 11.7 |
DK/NA | 4.1 | 3.6 |
To have greater trade
July 2014 | June 2016 | |
Fully support | 32.1% | 30.7% |
Somewhat support | 37.3 | 37.4 |
Somewhat oppose | 12.0 | 9.7 |
Fully oppose | 15.9 | 19.2 |
DK/NA | 2.7 | 3.0 |
For the governments to have direct talks on issues of mutual concern
July 2014 | June 2016 | |
Fully support | 34.1% | 30.9% |
Somewhat support | 32.4 | 31.4 |
Somewhat oppose | 12.4 | 12.0 |
Fully oppose | 15.6 | 21.6 |
DK/NA | 5.4 | 4.1 |
To have more American and Iranians visit each other's countries as tourists
July 2014 | June 2016 | |
Fully support | 45.8% | 45.5% |
Somewhat support | 34.0 | 34.6 |
Somewhat oppose | 7.3 | 5.8 |
Fully oppose | 10.5 | 11.7 |
DK/NA | 2.3 | 2.5 |
Do you think that since the JCPOA, Iran’s relations with the US have in general:
January 2016 | June 2016 | |
Significantly improved | 1.9% | 0.7% |
Slightly improved | 28.5 | 25.0 |
Stayed the same | 51.5 | 56.8 |
Slightly worsened | 11.2 | 12.0 |
Significantly worsened | 2.6 | 3.9 |
DK/NA | 4.4 | 1.5 |
Click here for Poll 1: Iranian Views on Nuclear Deal
Click here for Poll 3: Views on Foreign Policy, Regional Conflicts
Click here for Poll 4: Domestic Politics and Issues
Click here for more information.