DIGITAL SOLIDARITY AND OPINION FORMATION: ASSESSING THE PAKISTANI PUBLIC RESPONSE TO THE 2026 U.S.-ISRAEL ESCALATION AGAINST IRAN

Abstract

The U.S.-Israel and Iran conflict, including infrastructure targets and a partial blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, has resulted in global economic disruption and online activism. Pakistan's tech-savvy youth is a key audience for global opinion-making in Muslim-majority conflicts. This study quantified digital solidarity and opinion-making among Pakistani university students (N = 300) in the 2026 conflict. Cross-sectional survey data were collected February – March 2026, via stratified random sampling of five provinces. The survey measured media consumption, Digital Solidarity Index (DSI), blame, trust and economic impacts. SPSS v27 was used. Respondents reported high digital solidarity (M = 41.20, SD = 5.82, α =.89). Pakistanis blamed the U.S. (45.3%) and Israel (38.3%) and 76.4% supported Pakistan's public support for Iran. Religiosity (β =.46, p <.001), social media exposure (β =.21, p <.001), and distrust in Western media (β = -.24, p <.001) significantly predicted DSI, while economic impact had only a weak effect (β =.10, p =.034). Social Sciences students were more supportive than STEM, F(2, 297) = 9.72, p <.001. There were no gender differences. Pro-Iran online activism was more moral-religious than economic. Religious scholars and WhatsApp, not state and Western media, were the most preferred sources of information. The findings indicate a "moral-identity override" model of opinion making in high-stakes Muslim-state conflicts.