New survey finds close to half disapprove of agreement and think it will have little effect on US-Iran ties

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (R) and the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi (L) arrive at Tehran's Mehrabad Airport on July 15, 2015, after Iran's nuclear negotiating team struck a deal with world powers in Vienna. (AFP/ATTA KENARE)
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif (R) and the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi (L) arrive at Tehran’s Mehrabad Airport on July 15, 2015, after Iran’s nuclear negotiating team struck a deal with world powers in Vienna. (AFP/ATTA KENARE)

 

A majority of Americans have little or no confidence the Iranians will uphold their end of the new nuclear agreement while close to half generally disapproved of the controversial accord, according to a new survey.

A Pew poll released Tuesday found that among Americans familiar with the P5+1 agreement signed last week in Vienna, 38 percent said they had no confidence and 35% said they have very little confidence Iran would abide by its side of the accord to curb its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of punishing international sanctions.

A total of 54% said they had little (33%) to no confidence (21%) that the US and international agencies could monitor Iran’s compliance with the accord.

Among 79% of respondents who said they have heard about the agreement, 48% disapproved of it while 38% said they approved; 14% did not offer an opinion.

The survey found a wide partisan divide in terms of the approval rate. Three-quarters of Republicans polled (75%) said they disapproved of the deal, while 59% of those who said they voted Democrat supported it.

There was also a substantial partisan divide on whether the West could verify Iran’s compliance with the deal. Among Democrats, 69% said they had a great deal or fair amount of confidence the US and international agencies could monitor whether Iran was abiding by the deal; only 22% of Republicans felt the same.

According to the survey, more Americans felt the deal would yield no significant results in terms of changing or improving US-Iran relations. Among those polled, 42% said the deal would have little to no effect on US-Iranian ties, while 25% said they felt the deal could improve them; 28% said the relationship could get worse.

The poll was conducted among 2,002 respondents with a margin of error of approximately 3%.

Under the deal announced last Tuesday, Iran’s nuclear program will be scaled back and closely monitored as the US and world powers seek to cut off its ability to develop an atomic weapon. In exchange, Iran will see biting economic sanctions gradually lifted, freeing up tens of billions of dollars in oil revenue and frozen assets.

As reported by The Times of Israel