American Voters to Corporate America: Investing in Iran Will Hurt Your Bottom Line

American Voters to Corporate America: Investing in Iran Will Hurt Your Bottom Line

(New York, NY) - Companies risk alienating both their customers and investors by doing business with Iran, according to a new poll organized by United Against Nuclear Iran (UANI). The survey results reinforce the numerous financial risks facing corporations contemplating Iranian investments by revealing how voters' purchasing and investment decisions are be influenced by their opposition to the Iranian regime.

The survey shows that in this election year, a huge bipartisan majority of American voters support the idea of educating companies - and their corporate boards and shareholders - about the risks of doing business with Iran. That finding comes as UANI is in the midst of a global education campaign that has detailed the pitfalls of doing business with Iran to hundreds of U.S. and international companies that may be contemplating Tehran as a new investment opportunity.

The poll results also show the depth of concern among American voters about the Iranian regime. Large majorities of voters view Iran as the greatest state threat facing the United States-greater than North Korea, Russia, and China. Only the non-state terrorist organizations ISIS and Al-Qaeda are deemed greater threats than Iran.

"These new findings should raise alarm bells in corporate boardrooms around the world," said UANI CEO, Ambassador Mark D. Wallace. "A robust majority of American voters has delivered a sobering message: They feel very strongly that Iran poses a direct and continuing threat to the national security of the United States and they won't hesitate to punish companies that choose to further strengthen the ayatollah and this regime."

The poll of 1,000 registered voters was conducted August 28-September 1, 2016.

• 60 percent of voters say they would stop buying products from a company that did business with Iran.
   
• 56 percent of voters who owned equities say they would sell shares and invest elsewhere if they learned a company they were invested in was doing business in Iran
   
• 70 percent of voters say it is very important that U.S. companies disclose any business they do in Iran.
   
• 80 percent of voters support educating companies about the risks of doing business with Iran. That figure includes 87 percent of Republicans, 81 percent of Independents and 72 percent of Democrats.
   
• Iran rated "67" on a 0-100 threat scale, where 100 was the greatest threat to the U.S. Iran rated higher than North Korea (66), Syria (60), Afghanistan (57) and Russia (56).