Only one in four Americans approves of US strikes on Iran that have plunged the Middle East into chaos, while about half – including one in four Republicans – believe President Donald Trump is too willing to use military force, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Some 27 per cent of respondents said they approved of the strikes, which were conducted alongside Israeli attacks on Iran, while 43pc disapproved and 29pc were not sure. About nine in 10 respondents said they had heard at least a little about the strikes, which began early on Saturday with a surprise attack that killed Iran’s leader.
The poll, which closed on Sunday, showed that 56pc of Americans think Trump, who has also ordered strikes in Venezuela, Syria and Nigeria in recent months, is too willing to use military force to advance US interests. The vast majority of Democrats – 87pc – held this view, as did 23pc of Republicans and 60pc of people who don’t identify with either political party.
The poll was conducted amid ongoing attacks on Iran by the US and Israel, and closed before the US military announced the first American casualties in the operation.
Four US service members have been killed during the campaign, which prompted retaliatory missile and drone strikes by Iran on Israel and on US military installations across the region. Three US jets were shot down during combat missions, which the US military said happened when they came under fire by mistake from Kuwaiti air defences.
While 55pc of Republicans said they approved of the strikes and 13pc disapproved, the Reuters/Ipsos poll found 42pc in Trump’s party said they would be less likely to support the Iran campaign if it leads to “US troops in the Middle East being killed or injured.”
Trump’s presidential approval rating ticked slightly lower to 39pc, one percentage point below a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted February 18-23.
The strikes on Iran began three days before the first primaries of the US midterm elections, which will determine whether Trump’s Republicans maintain their majorities in Congress for the next two years.
Reuters/Ipsos polls have consistently shown that voters’ top concern heading into the elections is the economy, far more than foreign affairs.
Some 45pc of poll respondents, including 34pc of Republicans and 44pc of independents, said they would be less likely to support the campaign against Iran if gas or oil prices increased in the United States.
Prices for Brent crude surged 10pc to about $80 a barrel in over-the-counter trade on Sunday, oil traders said. Analysts predicted prices could climb as high as $100 due to the latest conflict.
The United States and Israel launched their strikes after negotiations in Geneva between the US and Iran failed to secure a breakthrough over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
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