The findings of two opinion polls published this week give an emphatic message that the public in the US, UK, France, Italy, Spain and Germany are opposed to any military action against Iran. A third survey, due to be published this month, demonstrates that this view is also held by large majority of members of the British parliament.

The first poll, a Harris Interactive Survey, was released on 9th November. It was conducted in five European countries and the U.S. found that the use of military force against Iran is backed by just 8 percent in France, 7 percent in Germany, 8 percent in Italy, 8 percent in Spain, 11 percent in the U.K. and 21 percent in the U.S. The poll was conducted for France 24 television and the International Herald Tribune newspaper between 3-15 October and surveyed 6,645 people aged 16 to 64.

The second poll, a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey, was released on 8th November. It involved a telephone poll of 1,024 American adults between 3- 8 November and found that 70 percent of Americans oppose any military strike on Iran.

The third poll, carried out by the Westminster Committee on Iran, is due to be published at the end of November. It surveyed 472 British MP’s and finds that 82 percent would not be in favour of any form of British involvement in military intervention against Iran without the explicit authority of the United Nations.

The Chair of the Westminster Committee on Iran, said today:

“The recent strategic, military and political maneuvers can leave little doubt that attacking Iran is top of George Bush’s list of things to do before he retires. President Sarkozy has made it clear this week that he will support American military intervention against Iran whilst Gordon Brown has repeatedly refused to rule out such an option. These three polls demonstrate that not only is international public emphatically opposed to such an action but that it has no support in the British parliament.

With Russian and China unlikely to support a UN resolution authorising military action, it is likely that President Bush will order a strike on Iran ‘in support of the authority of the UN’. This was the pretext used for the invasion of Iran in 2003. In such circumstances, Gordon Brown might support President Bush either through the use of British bases, airspace and equipment or by sanctioning the involvement of British military forces. The French already have an aircraft carrier group in the Gulf and will offer military support to the US led attack.

We appeal to these leaders:

to listen to the will of the people who put them into office;

to desist from any illegitimate and unjustified military action against Iran;

to resume negotiations with Iran on the nuclear enrichment issue without preconditions;

to support the agreement reached between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency aimed at resolving the current stand-off; and

to recognise the IAEA as the only international authority qualified to study Iran's nuclear dossier and to respect their findings."