Syrians see Israel as biggest regional threat, followed by Iran: Survey

Some 97 percent of respondents to the Arab Opinion Index for Syria say Israel threatens security and stability in the Middle East. Most Syrians view Israel as the greatest threat to the security of their country and the region, with Iran a distant second, according to a new nationwide survey. The poll, conducted by the Doha-based Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies and the Arab Center for Contemporary Syria Studies, published its results on Monday.

The Arab Opinion Index for Syria 2026 found that 61 percent of respondents named Israel as the main threat to Syria, while Iran was named by 20 percent, Turkiye by 6 percent and the United States by 5 percent. Asked about the Arab world as a whole, 58 percent of respondents named Israel as the main threat, unchanged from last year. Meanwhile, the share naming Iran as the main regional threat doubled from 12 percent in 2025 to 24 percent.

Some 97 percent said Israel threatens the security and stability of the Middle East, up from 78 percent a year earlier. The percentage of those who said the same about Iran rose from 74 to 93.