A majority of Americans against Trump’s handling of Iran
About 53 per cent disapprove of Trump’s policies towards Iran, up 9 per cent over mid-December. Americans increasingly fear a war with Iran. Some 27 per cent vs 44 per cent want a pre-emptive strike. About 71 per cent expect a war within the next few years.
Washington (AsiaNews) – American public opinion appears increasingly critical of President Donald Trump's actions, in particular with regard to Iran, which is likely to result in open war.
The direct confrontation between the two countries began when the US unilaterally pulled out in May 2018 from the nuclear Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) and took a quantum leap with the recent killing of the head of Iran’s al-Quds Force, General Qasem Soleimani, and Iran’s military retaliation last night.
A recent Reuters/Ipsos survey shows that most adult Americans expect a conflict with Tehran in the near future.
The national opinion poll notes that 53 per cent of adults in the United States disapprove of Trump's handling of Iran, up about 9 percentage points from a similar poll in mid-December.
The number of adults who “strongly disapprove” of Trump’s actions in Iran – 39 per cent – is also up, by 10 points, from the December poll.
Opinions are largely split along party lines, with disapproval up over the past month among Democrats and independents, with no change among Republicans.
About nine in ten Democrats and five in ten independents disapprove of Trump’s actions in Iran. Among Republicans, one in ten disapprove. One in 10 Democrats, four in ten independents and eight in ten Republicans approve of Trump’s handling of Iran.
The survey ran 6-7 January, shortly after Trump ordered the drone strike in Iraq that killed Soleimani and escalated tensions in the region.
Trump, who said that Soleimani had been planning to attack Americans, said that the strike was meant to stop a war with Iran. The president threatened to attack Iranian cultural sites if Iran retaliated.
According to the poll, Trump’s overall popularity remained stable following his strike on Soleimani, with 41 per cent approving of his performance in office and 54 per cent disapproving.
Americans also appear to be much more concerned now about the risk of war with Iran.
A separate poll found that 41 per cent of Americans consider Iran an "imminent threat" to the United States, up 17 points from a similar poll in May 2019.
It also shows that 71 per cent of Americans believe that the United States will be at war with Iran within the next few years, up 20 points from May.
A growing minority of Americans is now in favour of a “pre-emptive attack” against Iran’s military installation. The poll found that 27 per cent said the United States should strike first, up 15 points from May. Another 41 per cent said the United States should not strike first and 33 per cent said they did not know.
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07/01/2020 09:57
