A new report reveals a profound geopolitical divide within the United Kingdom, where British Muslims hold vastly different views on the Iranian regime and international relations to those of the wider public.
According to a JL Partners poll conducted for think tank Policy Exchange in March 2026, British Muslims are five times more likely to view the hardline government in Tehran favorably, boasting a +22 net favorability rating while the wider population stands at -42.
Dr. Rakib Ehsan, the author of Worlds Apart: British Muslim Attitudes on the Iran Conflict, suggests these findings reflect a “broader skepticism of Western geopolitics” and an overarching anti-Americanism. This ideological gap is further widened by differing media consumption habits.
While legacy media broadcasts remain the primary news source for the general population, the relatively youthful British Muslim demographic relies heavily on “non-legacy” sources such as Al Jazeera, TikTok, and Instagram.
With 50% of British Muslims viewing Western strikes on Iran as “definitely wrong,” the data indicates that modern Britain is what the report calls “anything but on the same page” regarding the current Middle Eastern crisis and the UK’s strategic alliances.
