A Secret Document Shakes Tehran... What Do Iranians Really Want?

IranWire has revealed a secret document prepared by the social adviser to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian under the title “What Do Iranians Want?”, offering a comprehensive picture of public opinion trends inside Iran and exposing clear shifts in citizens’ views of the economic and political situation and the future of the country’s relationship with the world.

According to the document, the majority of Iranians do not see external sanctions as the main cause of the economic crisis. Instead, they place the greater blame for the deterioration in living conditions on mismanagement, corruption, and the poor competence of officials.

The survey results cited in the report also showed a general inclination among Iranians to avoid military confrontation and seek diplomatic solutions, with a large number of respondents expressing support for maintaining the ceasefire and continuing negotiations to avoid the outbreak of a new war.

The document further indicated that the traditional image of Iranian society as divided between hardline supporters of the regime and opponents demanding its overthrow no longer fully reflects reality, noting that the most hardline currents on both sides of the spectrum command only a limited support base ranging between 10 and 20 percent.

On the US-Iran file, 54.7 percent of respondents said relations between Washington and Tehran would remain within the equation of “no war, no agreement” for a long time, while 49.1 percent voiced fears of a new military confrontation.

When asked about the best option at the current stage, the choice of preserving the ceasefire and continuing negotiations received the highest level of support at 44.3 percent, compared with limited backing for escalatory options, as only 16.4 percent supported launching a preemptive strike against the United States and Israel.

According to the report’s authors, the document reveals a shift in the Iranian public mood toward focusing on domestic issues and economic conditions, alongside a decline in support for open confrontation and a rise in calls for reform, improved government performance, and openness to diplomatic paths.