An overwhelming majority of Americans oppose war with Iran and a plurality say that President Donald Trump’s strikes on the country’s nuclear facilities makes the United States less safe, according to a new poll.
YouGov conducted a survey of 2,824 American on Sunday, hours after Trump announced U.S. forces struck Iranian nuclear facilities in Natanz and Esfahan, as well as the Fordow enrichment facilities located near the city of Qom with so-called bunker-busting bombs.
But 85 percent of American adults said they do not want war with Iran, including 92 percent of all Democrats, 83 percent of independents and 80 percent of Republicans in opposition.
The numbers come as most Democrats in Congress opposed Trump’s strikes and have called for a war powers resolution that would require the president notify Congress at least 48 hours before military action and limits armed forces deployment to 90 days without a formal declaration of war.
Some Republicans in Congress like Reps. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia — among Trump’s biggest supporters in Congress — have criticized attacking Iran.
A slight plurality of Americans believe that Trump’s attacks have entered a war with Iran. Thirty-nine percent of Americans believe the United States is at war, and 32 percent do not, while 28 percent of Americans are not sure.
That contrasts with recent remarks from Vice President JD Vance, who told Meet the Press on Sunday that “we’re not at war with Iran, we’re at war with Iran’s nuclear program.”
Almost two-thirds of Americans believe the strikes will lead to a wider war with Iran, with 34 percent of Americans saying it is very likely and 33 percent of Americans say it is “somewhat likely.” Only 15 percent of Americans say it is not very likely and 5 percent say it is is not at all likely.
A slight majority of American adults also disapprove of Trump’s handling of Iran, with 43 percent of Americans strongly disapproving of the way the president has managed the crisis and 10 percent somewhat disapproving. Only 35 percent of Americans approve of Trump’s handling of Iran.
Americans also do not believe that the strikes on Iran will make the United States safer, as 41 percent of American adults say that the strikes will make the country less safe while only 25 percent say they will make the country safer and 20 percent are not sure.
In April, Trump had dispatched his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to negotiate with Iran with the goal of reaching a nuclear peace agreement, with the country’s nuclear program at the heart of Israel’s years-long conflict with Iran. Trump had withdrawn from a joint agreement with Iran during his first administration against the advice of U.S. allies
Following the collapse of those new talks, Israel began to hit Iran in June. Initially, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that Israel acted unilaterally, though Trump later threw his support behind Israeli attack, and has now suggested that a wider regime-change war could follow.
