World Wants Sanctions, Not Force, for Iran

As the confrontation over Iran's nuclear program intensifies--with stronger sanctions against Iran coming into effect and the United States beefing up its forces in the waters around Iran--international public support for sanctions on Iran is fairly strong, but not for the use of military force. These are some of the findings in a newly updated digest of polls from around the world and the United States on the topic of nuclear proliferation. Majorities in 12 of 21 countries favored "tougher international sanctions on Iran to try to stop it from developing nuclear weapons" in a May 2012 Pew poll. These included Germany (77%), the United States (75%), the Czech Republic (74%), Britain (72%), France and Italy (both 71%), Spain (68%), Mexico (63%), Poland (62%), Japan (57%), Brazil (56%) and Jordan (52%). But in nine of the 21 countries less than half approved. This included three major powers--China (21%) Russia (35%), and India (19%)--as well as five majority Muslim nations (Egypt 46%, Lebanon 46%, Turkey 18%, Tunisia 18%, and Pakistan 4%).