After a tumultuous month domestically that consumed social media, users are now looking across the globe to talks this week between the U.S. and Iran over the Islamic nation's nuclear capabilities. That attention is good news for advocates wanting to make their case to the public.

While Minneapolis dominated social media for the month of January, February sees a great deal of social media attention turning to Tehran and the escalation of rhetoric from the Trump Administration over Iran's nuclear programs.

Rolli IQ, now with access to Meta social media platforms Facebook, Instagram and Threads, shows a great deal of interest in the positions being staked out in the conflict. Those on the American side are using social media--often through political and media surrogates--to make their case in the days leading up to talks on Friday.

A quick look at the overall sentiment of users shows great concern about the rising tension between the two nations, heightened by threats of war from the White House. The Rolli IQ Sentiment Summary shows a high volume of initial mentions across Facebook, Instagram, Threads, Twitter/X, YouTube, Reddit and Bluesky, with engagement at very high levels. Users see the situation as grave, with a 40 to 1 ration of negative to positive comments.

Using Rolli IQ's AI summary function to summarize sentiment on each platform shows the same concerns across nearly every platform:

Facebook: The posts collectively depict a highly tense and volatile situation between the United States and Iran, with escalating military deployments, threats, and warnings from both sides. The U.S. has increased its naval presence in the Middle East, signaling readiness for potential military action, while Iran has responded with strong rhetoric, military drills, and threats of severe retaliation, including the possibility of regional war. Additionally, there are reports of severe internal repression within Iran, causing significant human suffering and international concern. The overall atmosphere is one of confrontation, fear, and instability, with little indication of imminent de-escalation.
Twitter/X: The posts overwhelmingly express condemnation of the Iranian Islamic regime, highlighting brutal repression, mass killings, and human rights abuses against protesters demanding freedom and democracy. There is strong solidarity with the Iranian people both inside and outside Iran, with calls for continued international attention, support, and even revolution. Criticism is also directed at global indifference, including celebrities and political figures who remain silent. Several posts mention protests worldwide, especially in Toronto, and emphasize the urgency of opposing the regime. Conspiracy theories and geopolitical commentary are present but the dominant tone is one of outrage, grief, and a call for action against oppression.
Instagram: The posts express strong criticism and sorrow regarding the Iranian regime's violent actions, highlighting thousands of deaths and injuries among young protesters seeking freedom. There is disappointment directed at public figures for not supporting the Iranian people and even allegedly defending the regime. Despite the pain and anger, there is also a message of solidarity and emotional support from those who are geographically distant but empathetic to the suffering of Iranians.
Reddit: The posts predominantly focus on escalating tensions between the US and Iran, highlighting military threats, protests, and human rights abuses in Iran. There is widespread criticism of political figures, especially Donald Trump, and concerns about potential war and its consequences. Many posts mention the violent crackdown on Iranian protesters, arrests of medical personnel, and mass casualties, reflecting a grim and critical view of the situation. Additionally, there are references to misinformation, propaganda, and geopolitical maneuvering, contributing to an overall atmosphere of conflict, fear, and distrust.

Much of the commentary on social media seems to come from places of deeper knowledge about the situation. Unlike some recent crises that have captured the attention of social media with pure emotion, users are engaging their thought processes to discuss the looming prospect of war and any path toward de-escalation and eventual resolution. Rolli IQ's Topic Tree function allows tracing of the roots of those higher level discussions. Topic Tree breaks its analysis down into five broad areas: political commentary and criticism, geopolitical and military tensions, Iran protests and human rights, Iranian diaspora and community actions and social/cultural issues. The most interesting of these is the area of political commentary and criticism in which users are hashing out many of the main topics for the two nations to settle between themselves. Republican politicians and pundits are all over platforms like Twitter/X to back the Trump administration and feed information to voters to get them to support any actions the U.S. will take.

Those comments have brought out remarks from Iranians interested in U.S. intervention in Iran to help free the people there from what they call a repressive regime.

On the pro-Iranian side, most comments have come from official sources and have been carefully worded, like this post from the Iranian foreign minister.

Of course, the dramatic events of the past month in the U.S. are also having some impact on this discussion. For instance, Rolli IQ finds that the Iran-related post with the most interaction over the last week on Twitter/X is actually this one, condemning Trump policies in the U.S. as he seeks to help those overseas.

Using Rolli IQ's analysis of the seven most popular social media platforms shows a high level of commentary and discussion about the rising tensions between the U.S. and Iran, showing concern on social media about just where the conflict is headed.