WASHINGTON, November 20 (RIA Novosti) – A majority of Americans support a deal to soften economic sanctions against Iran in exchange for restrictions placed on its nuclear program, according to a new poll released this week.
Sixty-four percent of Americans back a diplomatic agreement to ease sanctions against Iran in exchange for the restrictions, though just 36 percent are confident that such a deal would prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, according to the ABC News/Washington Post poll.
Results of the poll, which surveyed more than 1,000 Americans from November 14 to November 17, were published Tuesday evening ahead of a new round of talks in Geneva on Wednesday about Iran’s nuclear program.
The negotiations include Tehran and the “5+1” group of international negotiators, which is comprised of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany.
Thirty percent of respondents in the poll said they opposed relaxing sanctions on Iran if it restricts its nuclear program, and 61 percent said they were “less confident” that such a deal would prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.
Iran made a new bid this year to resolve the lengthy impasse over its nuclear program, which Western powers claim may be intended to produce nuclear weapons. Iran says it needs the program to provide energy and fuel medical reactors.
Iran and the 5+1 spoke of a possible breakthrough deal during the previous round of talks in Geneva earlier this month, but an agreement failed to materialize.