Thread by @snarwani

NEW: #Iran protests: What western media got wrong again. Two polls show that despite economic hardship, Iranians choose security over upheaval, support their government's regional role, reject America & applaud the #IRGC's internal and external activities. rt.com/op-ed/474464-i…

October 2019: On the IRGC...
- 82% of Iranians said IRGC made Iran more secure
- 89% gave IRGC top marks for aid during 2019 floods
- 63% say IRGC should engage in construction & economy
- 61% support IRGC continued presence in Syria
- 82% favor Quds Forces's Qassem Soleimani

October 2019: Iranians see economy as single biggest challenge - not "repression, civil rights, injustice or foreign policy." Increasing numbers blame this on US sanctions, but most pin it on Rouhani's administration. His favorability numbers poll at all time low of 42%.

October 2019: 83% of Iranians view US sanctions as having a "negative impact on the lives of ordinary people." An overwhelming 86% of Iranians view the US unfavorably, highest number in 13 years. Those who view the US as "very unfavorable" has grown from 52% in 2015 to 73% today.

Poll numbers directly after the 2017/2018 protests/riots:

63% percent of Iranians said the police used appropriate force & 11% said they used “too little force.” 85% of Iranians agreed that “the gov't should be more forceful to stop rioters who use violence or damage property.”

The two Iran polls were conducted jointly by the University of Maryland’s Center for International and Security Studies at Maryland (CISSM) and Toronto-based IranPolls.

You can find links to both the 2018 poll and the October 2019 poll in my new article: rt.com/op-ed/474464-i…