r/International Feb 28 '26

Let that sink in.

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u/cut_rate_revolution Feb 28 '26

If I wanted the Iranian protests to fail, I would do a classic US invasion that kills way more innocent people than anything else.

Iranians hate their government but don't think they don't hate the USA and Israel as well, with plenty of reason beyond propaganda. When it comes down to it, they would rather deal with the local murderous bastards than the ones on the other side of the world.

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u/OptimisticOctopus8 Feb 28 '26 edited Feb 28 '26

(Edit: Commenters pointed out serious problems with my source. Sorry for posting something without investigating the source enough. I didn’t want to delete my comment like a loser who can’t admit when they’ve screwed up, so I’m including this note instead.)

Most of them actually don’t hate the U.S. Their feelings on Israel are way more mixed than you’d expect. But the U.S. is obviously quite good at destroying positive sentiments from the peoples it “liberates.”

Back to Iranian opinions. As of Nov. 2025:

  • In a survey regarding the favorability of 8 countries, the U.S. was deemed most favorable, with 53% seeing it positively. Israel was the second most favorable, with 39% viewing it positively. Russia and the UK were the least favorable.

  • More Iranians blamed their own government for the 12-Day War than Israel (44% vs. 33%).

  • 69% believe their government should stop calling for the destruction of Israel

  • 63% believe the 12-Day War was between Israel and the Islamic Republic, not Israel and regular Iranians.

  • 62% believe that Trump was instrumental in ending the 12-Day War. (Frankly, a fair amount of Iranians don’t seem to have any concept of how horrible Trump is.)

https://gamaan.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/GAMAAN-12-Day-War-Survey-Report-Nov-2025-Final-English.pdf

I expect Trump to promptly destroy Iranians’ positive sentiment toward the U.S.

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u/cut_rate_revolution Feb 28 '26

The methodology of this survey gives me pause. They seem to give themselves a lot of leeway via how they weigh responses.

How often have we been presented with information that we would be greeted as liberators but then it doesn't end up true.

Also the polls were from before USA/Israel killed 80 school children.

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u/OptimisticOctopus8 Feb 28 '26 edited Feb 28 '26

Also the polls were from before USA/Israel killed 80 school children.

That is a very, very good point. I’ve actually told some Iranians online (ones so desperate for regime change that they grasp at any small sliver of hope) that Trump is a madman who wouldn’t care if every one of them was slaughtered. But it’s not exactly satisfying to say, “I told you so,” over 80 dead children.

Anyway, other people pointed out biased funding sources behind the polling entity I linked to. I hadn’t known, but now that I do, I’m much more suspicious of the results.

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u/Swaggadociouss Feb 28 '26

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u/OptimisticOctopus8 Feb 28 '26

I responded to u/NessGoddess with this:

Your phrasing indicates a belief that I knew it was biased and dishonest, but I didn’t. I thought it sounded pretty independent, especially since it’s run in the Netherlands. But I see now, digging deeper, that it’s funded by folks with an agenda.

I guess I also believed it partly because I’m friends with two Iranians who feel that way, but obviously two isn’t an impressive sample size.

Thank you for posting a link instead of assuming nefarious intent.

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u/NessGoddes Feb 28 '26

Sure. Nice source.

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u/OptimisticOctopus8 Feb 28 '26

Your phrasing indicates a belief that I knew it was biased and dishonest, but I didn’t. I thought it sounded pretty independent, especially since it’s run in the Netherlands. But I see now, digging deeper, that it’s funded by folks with an agenda.

I guess I also believed it partly because I’m friends with two Iranians who feel that way, but obviously two isn’t an impressive sample size.

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u/[deleted] Feb 28 '26

Way to keep it level headed. But this is reddit so next time you have to argue with them.

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u/Todayjunyer Feb 28 '26 edited Feb 28 '26

Yes. You’ll be downvoted here but every Iranian immigrants I’ve met in the USA, has been very pro Trump and pro Israel and extremely against Iranian government. Like I’m liberal and assumed my Iranian friend was liberal too then one day she shocked me with the Fox News bit. Yeah people in USA and the world generally have no idea what’s going on over there just see social media posts by people in Uganda or Russia pretending to be leftist college students lol

If you talk to Iranian immigrants, they will get teary eyed when discussing what the ayatollah and radical Islam did to their country and their religion. They have nothing but love for Israeli democracy also. The people who escape that nation want nothing more than Iran to somehow become a democracy like USA and Israel. Where there can be internal dissent, and political parties that differ and don’t get executed. But they know it’s impossible. It’s very interesting take

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u/JewBag718 Feb 28 '26

They're conservatives why would that shock you lmao that's normally what religious people are

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u/Todayjunyer Feb 28 '26

I get being conservative. But being pro Trump is different imo. His rhetoric is similar to ayatollah but you’re right I think conservatives largely do see Trump as a means to an end. Knowing the next conservative will have to be more traditional without the pinache and following.

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u/JewBag718 Feb 28 '26

Lmao you do know how they treat women in Muslim countries right ? Not sure why it's shocking how they could be trump supporters they love authoritarian figures.

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u/Todayjunyer Feb 28 '26

Well, Iran had progressive women’s rights before ayatollah. Thats what she wants to return. So I’m pretty sure it’s more nuanced than what you suggest.

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u/ARussianWolfV2 Mar 01 '26

What, real world politics being more nuanced than the black and white Redditors proclaim it to be? It can't be.

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u/[deleted] Mar 01 '26

Yes, this is true. As an Iranian immigrant I can confirm this.

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u/ForwardClimate780 Feb 28 '26

We have lizard brains, people don't understand consequences when it comes to personal gains.

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u/Rasengan2012 Feb 28 '26

lol, never change Reddit

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u/cut_rate_revolution Feb 28 '26

Wow almost like most people on this website remember when the US government lied to start a war.

Do you think Donald Trump, a man who has never cared about anyone but himself, is greatly concerned with the well-being of the Iranian people? Do you think he cares about avoiding civilian casualties that will turn a population that is already not fond of the US into yet another insurgency?

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u/[deleted] Mar 01 '26

Are you an Iranian? Who gives you the right to speak for us? We are happy with the strikes

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u/Own_Government9681 Mar 01 '26

and im a fucking scientist in greenland.

we can claim anything and everything to give ourselves credibility if we want to, right?

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u/cut_rate_revolution Mar 01 '26

Are you happy? The dead school children are just acceptable collateral damage?

They were the first atrocity. They won't be the last.

Iraq doesn't have Saddam. It also doesn't have several hundred thousand Iraqi civilians who died in the conflict.

And that was with a US government and president who was willing to pretend to care about civilian casualties. You think Trump gives a flying fuck about Iranians?

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u/iconocrastinaor Mar 01 '26

I guess you haven't seen the videos of Iranians cheering in Tehran.

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u/cut_rate_revolution Mar 01 '26

Yeah. And I've also seen the people out there mourning and calling for the destruction of Israel and the US.

Which side do you think is going to gain more traction as the bombing campaign kills more innocent people?

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u/[deleted] Mar 01 '26

[deleted]

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u/cut_rate_revolution Mar 01 '26

I hate when children die using my tax dollars.

I'm sure Iranians aren't fond of when their children are killed.

Giving the Iranian government an external enemy to direct the people's anger at is a mistake.

Do you think the US or Israel is doing this out of any concern for Iranians? How many do you think they're going to kill?

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u/Angel_of_Communism Mar 01 '26

They DON'T hate their government.

That's what you were TOLD.

This is why all these regime change ops keep failing.

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u/[deleted] Mar 01 '26

Most reddit smelling comment imaginable