61 percent say Iran war a mistake: Survey
A majority of Americans believe the U.S. military’s use of force against Iran was a mistake, according to a new poll.
The Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos survey , published this week, found that 61 percent of U.S. respondents said they believe the Trump administration erred in launching its military operation in the Middle Eastern country in late February.
Only 36 percent of respondents said this action was the “right decision.” These numbers are similar to public opinion polling about the wars in Iraq and Vietnam, the pollsters noted.
The U.S. and Israel initiated joint strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, after the Trump administration said Tehran was refusing to meet its demands in negotiations for a new nuclear agreement.
A majority of the poll’s respondents said that Israel, which previously waged a 12-day war against Iran last year, had “too much” of an influence on the Pentagon’s decision to enter the conflict. About 37 percent said Israel’s influence was “just right,” compared with the 52 percent who believed it was “too much.”
Additionally, 65 percent of those surveyed said they were “not confident” that an agreement to end the conflict will prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Another 8 percent said they were “very confident,” and 24 percent said they were “somewhat confident” it would.
The poll’s respondents were notably split on how the Trump administration should proceed in the negotiation process. The U.S. and Iran are engaged in a temporary ceasefire amid talks mediated by Pakistan over how to end the war, which have seemingly stalled .
Just less than half, 48 percent, in the survey said the Trump administration should accept a peace agreement with Tehran, even if it results in a poorer deal for the U.S.
Meanwhile, 46 percent indicated they would rather U.S. officials push Iran for a better deal, risking further military action, the results show.
The Washington Post-ABC-Ipsos poll surveyed 2,560 U.S. adults April 24-28 with a margin of error of approximately 2 percentage points.
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