Iranians Favor Direct Talks with US, Mutual Access for Journalists, More Trade

COLLEGE PARK, Md., April 7, 2008 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A new
WorldPublicOpinion.org polls finds that although Iranians continue to view the
United States negatively, they strongly support steps to improve US-Iran
relations.

Iranians support a number of measures for building closer relations between
Iran and the United States:

-- 57 percent favor "direct talks on issues of mutual concern," between the
Iranian and American governments, while 69 percent favor talks "to stabilize
the situation in Iraq"
-- 64 percent favor greater US-Iran trade
-- 70 percent favor "providing more access for each others' journalists"
-- 63 percent would like to see "greater cultural, educational, and sporting
exchanges"
-- 71 percent favor having "more Americans and Iranians visit each others'
countries as tourists"

A nationwide random sample of 710 Iranians was surveyed from January 13 to
February 9 by WorldPublicOpinion.org, an international research project
managed by the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of
Maryland, in partnership with Search for Common Ground. Parallel questions
were asked to an American sample to compare American and Iranian views.

This support is especially striking given the widespread perception that the
United States is hostile to both Iran and Islam. Most Iranians (84%) assume
that a goal of US policy is to weaken and divide the Islamic world. About two
in three (64%) also think the United States purposely seeks "to humiliate the
Islamic world."

Nonetheless, there has been some lessening of the sense of threat and an
easing of hostile attitudes toward the United States as compared to
WorldPublicOpinion.org polling in Iran in late 2006. For example the
percentage viewing US bases in the Middle East as a threat to Iran has dropped
18 points from 73 to 55 percent.

"It appears that as the sense of threat has subsided, there has been some
thawing of Iranian hostility and a greater readiness to enter into closer
relations with the United States," said Steven Kull, director of
WorldPublicOpinion.org.

The poll also probed Iranian views on nuclear issues. Six in ten believe that
nuclear weapons are contrary to Islam, but four out of five insist Iran should
have the capacity to produce nuclear fuel for energy.

For more information about this poll, its methodology, and other findings,
visit: www.WorldPublicOpinion.org

SOURCE Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University of
Maryland

Steven Kull of the Program on International Policy Attitudes at the University
of Maryland, +1-202-232-7500