Over half of Iranians view Netanyahu positively, 40% see Israel-US strikes as ‘humanitarian' - poll

ByDANIELLE GREYMAN-KENNARDJULY 28, 2026 18:53Around 40% of Iranians consider the US and Israeli military action against the Islamic Republic a “humanitarian intervention,” according to a survey of 31,450 Iranians aged 15 or older living in the country, conducted by the Netherlands-based non-profit research foundation The Group for Analyzing and Measuring Attitudes in Iran (GAMAAN).The survey, titled “Iranians’ Attitudes Toward the 2026 Protests and War,” collected responses from Iranians across the country from June 20 to June 27, 2026, in collaboration with Psiphon, Lantern, and MahsaNet. The survey reports an approximate 95% credibility level with a conservative credibility interval of plus or minus three percentage points.Though a significant portion of those surveyed viewed Israeli and American military action positively, 48% disagreed with the interpretation that it had been a form of “humanitarian intervention,” with 42% viewing the strikes as “military aggression against Iran.”The concept of foreign military intervention as a means of effecting social change was highly divisive, with only 38% of respondents supporting such action both before the war and at the time of the survey. Additionally, 27% said they had opposed military intervention both before and at the time of the survey, though 4% moved from opposition to support.The course of the war changed the opinions of 8% of respondents positively, reflecting those who previously disagreed with such action but came to support the strikes by the time they were surveyed.Naz Gharai, from Tehran, is covered in red paint as protesters call on the United Nations to take action against the treatment of women in Iran, following the death of Mahsa Amini while in the custody of the morality police, during a demonstration near UN headquarters in New York City on November 19 (credit: YUKI IWAMURA/AFP via Getty Images)Though not all may support the strikes, 60% admitted to feeling satisfied that the Islamic Republic had been weakened during the war, and 52% admitted they were not saddened by the assassination of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei in February.Nearly a quarter (24%) said they had no opinion on his death, while a surprising 24% said they were saddened. Previous surveys demonstrated that 80%-92% of the Iranian population opposed the regime.13% of Iranians want to live under regimeThe new survey showed that only 13% wanted to live under the Islamic Republic, while 25% wanted Iran to be a non-federal monarchy and 9% a federal monarchy. Twenty-eight percent preferred a republican system, 17% wanted a non-federal republic, and 11% wanted a federal republic.Equally divisive were perceptions of the regime’s own policies during the war. More than half (51%) disagreed that the missile program had increased the country’s security, while 47% said they did not consider closing the Strait of Hormuz to be the right action, and around 59% opposed Iran building nuclear weaponsThe majority (68%) said they didn’t believe the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Washington and Tehran served the Iranian people, a point criticized by UN Special Rapporteur Mai Sato and in the European Parliament. The terms of the now-defunct deal included no provisions for the release of demonstrators held, amnesty for those sentenced to death, or accountability.On the issue of the protests, which first broke out in December in response to the country’s economic crisis, 50% denied attending, while 25% said they had joined the street demonstrations.Translated for Iran’s population, GAMAAN noted that this would suggest around 14 million people had joined the demand for change. Notably, a quarter of respondents refused to answer the question, which the organization suggested could mean the number of protesters was significantly higher and that there are ongoing fears about activists' personal security.What began as outrage over the country’s inflation and economic woes evolved into clear demands for real change. Of those who admitted to attending a demonstration, 71% said they joined because they were dissatisfied with the Islamic Republic, 62% because of inflation and corruption, 55% because exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi called for such action, and 10% because of US President Donald Trump’s declaration of support.The demonstrations were violently suppressed by the Islamic Republic, with human rights groups estimating that upwards of 30,000 people were killed by security forces. Tens of thousands were arbitrarily detained, and many remain in prison facing either death or prolonged imprisonment without a fair judicial process.The brutality the Iranian regime demonstrated against protesters was acknowledged by 80% of respondents, who answered that its actions were “wrong.” Only 14% of the respondents viewed the regime’s actions positively, though the figure was not consistent across the political spectrum.Around 85% of principlists [hardliners] and 43% of reformists evaluated the regime’s performance positively, while around 95% of transitionists and 98% of regime-change supporters considered it wrong.'Long live Iran' most popular protest chantRegarding the slogans chanted by the protesters, 94% viewed positively the chant “Long live Iran,” 81% “No to the executions,” 79% “Death to the dictator,” and 74% “Women, Life, Freedom.”More controversial were chants in support of the exiled monarchy, with only 67% agreeing with the slogan “Reza Shah, bless your soul” and 54% agreeing with “Long live the shah.”Slogans in support of the Islamic Republic were far less popular, with 66% opposed to “No compromise, no surrender; fight the United States,” 62% opposed to “Death to Israel,” and 61% opposed to “God’s hand was revealed; Khamenei became young again.”The protests prompted the Islamic regime to impose a near three-month internet shutdown, which Sato and several human rights organizations said was intended to conceal the widespread human rights abuses being committed. The consequences of this shutdown did far more than disrupt communication, as 36% reported that it had contributed to the increased cost of living, 29% said it had reduced their income, 26% said it led to business disruption or closure, and 25% said it led to the loss of their job or main source of income.Asked about their perception of world leaders, Trump’s popularity stood at 44%, with an equal number expressing negative opinions of the US leader. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was slightly more popular, with 51% holding a positive view of him, and 38% viewing him negatively.Follow us on Google