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What Iranians Really Think about the War - and Their Regime
(National Interest) Ilan Berman - What do Iranians think about the conflict and the current state of their country after nearly half a year of war? A new internet-based survey conducted by GAMAAN, a Netherlands-based polling group, focused on assessing attitudes within Iran. One surprising revelation is that the January 2026 protests against the Islamic Republic were far broader in scope than has been commonly understood in the West. Of the 31,000 respondents surveyed by GAMAAN using VPN and other circumvention technology, a quarter "reported having participated in the January 2026 street protests," corresponding "to an estimated 14 million literate people aged 15 and above" taking part in Iran's latest opposition wave. That helps explain the extreme lengths to which the Iranian regime went to put down the protests. "About 40% viewed the U.S. and Israeli military operation as a form of 'humanitarian intervention.'" That figure is a reflection of the fact that ordinary Iranians understand full well that they are captives of the Islamic Republic, and continue to hold out hope that the West will somehow free them. President Trump garners 44% approval, while Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu gets 51%. That suggests a generally benign view of American and Israeli intentions. The survey results underscore that the potential for meaningful political change within Iran persists, despite the country's new military-dominated order. The writer is senior vice president at the American Foreign Policy Council.