UK public attitudes toward the conflict between Israel and Iran

• 83% are concerned about the impact of conflict between Israel and Iran on regional stability in the Middle East
• Just over half of the UK public (54%) think UK should be a neutral mediator in conflict between Israel and Iran (12% say support Israel and 4% Iran)
• Little public backing for sending British weapons to help Israel fight against Iran – and especially opposed to sending British troops (72% opposed)
• Some support (41%) for stricter economic sanctions against Iran – but 47% also want to maintain diplomatic ties with Iran

After the Iranian attacks on Israel on 1st October, a new Ipsos poll examines UK public attitudes towards the conflict between the countries. Fieldwork was carried out among 2,313 UK adults aged 18+ between 4th – 7th October 2024, on Ipsos’ online random probability KnowledgePanel.  The poll reveals:

High levels of concern about the impact of the conflict in the Middle East and at home

• 8 in 10 (83%) of the UK public are concerned about the potential impact of the conflict between Israel and Iran on regional stability in the Middle East – 50% say they are very concerned.
• 7 in 10 or more are also worried about the impact of the conflict on civilians across the region who may be affected – 79% are concerned about the impact on Palestinian and Lebanese civilians, 73% about the impact on Israeli civilians, and 71% for Iranian civilians
• Thinking domestically, around 2 in 3 of the UK public are concerned about the impact on UK national safety and security (68%), community relations within the UK (67%), and the UK economy (65%).
• People are less likely to think they will be personally affected, though 42% are still worried about the impact on them personally (56% are less concerned).

How should the UK Government respond?

• Just over half of the UK public (54%) say the UK should be a neutral mediator in the conflict between Israel and Iran, with a further 19% saying the UK shouldn’t be involved at all.
• 12% say the UK should support Israel, while just 4% say the UK should support Iran.
• Many are still not sure about the UK Government’s response to the conflict, with 44% taking a neutral stance saying it has done neither a good nor bad job.  Among those who do give an opinion, more think it is doing a bad job in its response (31%) than a good one (14%).   Even among Labour’s own 2024 voters, only 19% think it is doing a good job (against 25% bad job, and 46% neutral).
• When asked about specific actions the UK Government could take, attitudes broadly reflect the public’s desire to remain neutral.  
• There is little support for sending British weapons to help Israel in any fight against Iran, with 50% opposed, against 19% in support.  There is even more widespread opposition to sending British troops, with 72% against this idea and just 7% in favour.
• Opposition to sending British weapons to help Israel is highest amongst 2024 Green (79%) and Labour (58%) voters, and among younger people (64% of 18-24s) and ethnic minorities (58%).  Support is highest among Conservative (37%) and Reform UK (34%) backers, and among older people (27% of over 55s).  
• There is some support for stricter economic sanctions against Iran, with a plurality, 41%, in favour of this, and 16% opposed.  However, at the same time 47% also support maintaining diplomatic ties with Iran, with 11% opposed.
• Support for stricter economic sanctions against Iran is highest among 2024 Conservative (62%) and Reform UK (55%) voters, and among older people (62% of over 65s).  It is lowest among 2024 Green voters, 18-24 year olds, and ethnic minorities (all 25%).
• More broadly, the UK public is split on the idea of a suspension of UK arms exports to Israel that might be used in Gaza, but allowing other arms exports to Israel to continue (29% support, 34% opposed).  There is more support (though not quite a majority) for suspending all UK arms exports to Israel (at 46%, with 23% opposed).
• Support for a comprehensive suspension on UK arms to Israel is higher among 2024 Green (76%) and Labour (51%) voters, and among younger people (54% of 18-34s) and ethnic minorities (53%).  Opposition is highest among 2024 Conservative (40%) and Reform UK (39%) voters, and among older people (36% of over 65s).

Attitudes towards the wider conflict in the Middle East 

• When asked to consider the conflict between Israel and other countries in the Middle East more generally, the UK public thinks responsibility lies with actors on both sides.
• Half or slightly more think the Israeli government (56%), Hamas (55%), and Hezbollah in Lebanon (50%) all have a great deal of responsibility for the current conflict.  Another 40% see Iran as bearing significant responsibility.  A quarter cite the Palestinian Authority and the United States (both 25%).
• In a sign of how accountability is shared, just over 4 in 10 (43%) say both the Israeli government and at least one of Hamas, Hezbollah or Iran have a great deal of responsibility for the conflict.
• When asked who is most responsible, 29% choose the Israeli government.  A similar proportion (34%) choose either Hamas (20%), Iran (9%) or Hezbollah (5%).  Though just over a fifth (22%) say they don’t know.

Gideon Skinner, Senior Director of UK Politics at Ipsos said:

After the missile attacks by Iran on Israel, and amidst expectations of an Israeli response, concerns are high among the UK public about the potential ramifications for stability in the region, for all civilians who may be affected, and closer to home worries about the impact on national security, community relations and the UK economy.
As attention also turns to the UK response, most people think the UK government should remain neutral and not pick a side (in line with their views towards the conflict in the Middle East more widely, for which Britons think both Israel and its opponents are responsible), and there is little public appetite for British military support for Israel in the form of weapons or especially troops.  There is more support (a plurality rather than a majority) for stricter economic sanctions against Iran, although even then nearly half also want to keep diplomatic channels open.
This all leaves questions for Keir Starmer and his government as they decide on the UK’s next steps, and indeed while many are sitting on the fence relatively few think the Labour government is doing a good job in responding to the conflict so far. And the challenge is greater given the different views that exist in the country, with younger people, Labour and especially Green voters most opposed to British military support for Israel, while Conservative and Reform voters, and older people, are more sympathetic to British backing for Israel, and more in favour of harsher economic sanctions on Iran. 

Technical note: 

• This data has been collected by Ipsos’s UK KnowledgePanel, a random probability online panel which provides gold standard insights into the UK population, by providing bigger sample sizes via the most rigorous research methods.
• Ipsos interviewed a representative sample of 2,313 adults aged 18+ in the UK. Interviews were conducted online between 4-7 October 2024.
• Data are weighted to match the profile of the population. All polls are subject to a wide range of potential sources of error.