Amid reports of continuing unrest in Iran, a poll was recently conducted, showing that only a small minority of 4.9 percent of Iranians want a regime change. However, it is noteworthy that the orchestrated campaign to conduct this survey was launched by figures who have close ties with Tehran and Iran’s state-run media.
The nature itself of the opinion poll suggests that the survey did not present truthful answers and sentiments among Iranian people. It was conducted solely through phone calls from Farsi speaking strangers, whom Forbes writes, the Iranians would not trust to express their true beliefs to about the oppressive regime. It adds that the background of those gathering the information is unclear and needs to be checked.
Forbes further raises questions as to why anyone would decide to conduct such a poll at a turbulent time when the country is rocked by demonstrations, with protesters calling for the change of government. The only logical explanation it offers is that those initiating the polls are seeking to depict a result completely different to public opinion, that it trying to portray a rock-solid regime enjoying significant popularity.
Iran’s regime is in such desperate need to depict a picture that it enjoys a favorable view among the country’s citizens that poll organizers don’t even take the time to portray their numbers as even slightly acceptable.
Consequently, it continues to make astonishing claims such as that only 8.8 percent of Iranians believe that the country should decrease its ballistic missile program budget, that no more than 11 percent believe the government is too involved in their personal lives and that only 17.2 percent believe Iran’s role in Syria and Iraq is not in the country’s interests. Lastly, it claims that only 21.5 percent believe Iran should decrease its Syria/Iraq budgets and that another 21.7 believe the government shouldn’t impose seriously Islamic laws.