which is three times the proportion that acknowledged such troubles six years ago, shortly after President Ahmadi-nejad took office.
The same poll found that only a quarter of those polled agreed with the government’s constant assertion that foreign sanctions are meaningless and ineffective and will do not harm to Iran. Supreme Leader Ali Khamenehi even says the sanctions are good for Iran because they promote self-reliance.
The Gallup Poll was based on telephone interviews conducted from mid-December to mid-January, before the new US and EU sanctions took effect but when most people understood they were on their way.
Asked if they thought the new sanctions “will hurt the livelihood of Iranians,” two-thirds said the sanctions would hurt. A total of 27 percent said they would hurt a great deal while 38 percent said they would hurt somewhat. Another 25 percent said the sanctions wouldn’t hurt Iran at all and the remaining 9 percent did not respond.
Five times in the past six years, Gallup has asked Iranians if there were times in the preceding year when they lacked enough money for food or for housing.
The accompanying chart shows how the proportion admitting to financial trouble has soared over the years. Only 15 percent of those polled in late 2006 said they had insufficient funds for food. That number rose in each of the succeeding four polls and hit 48 percen—almost half the population—in the latest survey.
The poll also found that Iranians think very little of the leadership of the Western world. A mere 8 percent said they approve of the US leadership, 7 percent approve of the UK leadership and 13 percent approve of German leadership.
Gallup’s analysts said, “Such figures demonstrate that Iranians’ protests against their own leadership should not be construed as support for the West—and that Western leaders need to monitor the unintended effects sanctions may have on Iranians’ lives.”
The results showing half the public now unable at times to find the money for such fundamentals as food and shelter suggests that incumbent officeholders would be very unpopular and an opposition party would have a real chance at the polls next month, assuming a real opposition party were allowed to campaign.