More Americans are opposed rather than supportive of the recent U.S. military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, according to a new national poll conducted by Reuters/Ipsos. The survey shows a significant partisan divide, with most Republicans backing President Donald Trump’s decision to launch airstrikes against Iran in order to prevent the Islamic State from obtaining nuclear weapons.
Among the adult Americans surveyed, 36% expressed support for the airstrikes, while 45% were opposed, and 18% were unsure or did not respond. However, within the Republican party, 69% supported the military strikes, with 17% opposed. In contrast, only 13% of Democrats supported the attack, with nearly three-quarters opposed. Among independents, support for the airstrikes stood at 29%, with nearly half opposed.
The poll was conducted on Sunday and Monday following the attacks, which President Trump announced to the nation on Saturday evening. The airstrikes came after a series of exchanges between Iran and Israel, triggered by an initial Israeli attack on Iranian territory.
In terms of approval for Trump’s handling of Iran, just over a third (35%) of those surveyed approved, while half indicated disapproval. The approval ratings showed a stark partisan divide, with 70% of Republicans supporting Trump’s approach, compared to only 10% of Democrats and 28% of independents.
Following the attacks, Trump declared that the strikes were a “spectacular military success” and claimed that Iran’s key nuclear facilities had been completely destroyed. However, independent experts analyzing commercial satellite imagery of Iran’s facilities after the attack suggest that Tehran’s nuclear program remains intact.
The poll also revealed that 60% of respondents believe that U.S. airstrikes on Iran will not enhance America’s safety, with 36% expressing the opposite view. There was a clear partisan split on this issue, with just 12% of Democrats, 29% of independents, and two-thirds of Republicans believing that the strikes will enhance national security.
See also Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s tough Bronx persona is under fresh scrutiny with a resurfaced childhood nickname from her suburban upstate New York upbringing casting doubt on that publicly portrayed image. The progressive champion’s latest spat with President Donald Trump over the Iran strikes again called into question her true upbringing when she declared on X she was a “Bronx girl" to make her a point against the president. The 35-year-old congresswoman wrote in part on X: "I’m a Bronx girl. You should know that we can eat Queens boys for breakfast. Respectfully," she said, referring to the president’s upbringing in Queens as she called for his impeachment over his decision to bypass Congress in authorizing U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Ocasio-Cortez was born in the Bronx but moved to Yorktown – which is nearly an hour outside New York City -- when she was 5 years old and went on to attend Yorktown High School where she graduated in 2007. She was considered an accomplished student there and well thought of by teacher Michael Blueglass, according to a 2018 report by local media outlet Halston Media News. “There, known by students and staff as ‘Sandy,’ she was a member of the Science Research Program taught by Michael Blueglass," the report states. “She was amazing," Blueglass said, per the report. “Aside from her winning one of the top spots and going to the [Intel International Science and Engineering Fair], she was just one of the most amazing presenters in all of the years I've been at Yorktown. Her ability to take complex information and explain it to all different levels of people was fantastic." After high school, Ocasio-Cortez attended Boston University, where she majored in economics and international relations, per the report. Ocasio-Cortez’s “Sandy" nickname — which carries a more suburban and preppy tone — appears to undercut her politically crafted image as a tough, inner-city fighter, one she has portrayed since her famous 2018 congressional campaign where she eventually ousted former 10-terms Congressman Joe Crowley. New York GOP Assemblyman Matt Slater, who now represents Yorktown, added to the scrutiny of Ocasio-Cortez’s persona in the wake of her brash with Trump and released images of Ocasio-Cortez from his high school yearbook. He claimed he and the rising Democratic star attended Yorktown High School at the same time when she was a freshman and he was a senior. "I saw the attacks on the president and her [Ocasio-Cortez] claims that she's a big, tough Bronx girl," said Slater. "To sit there and say that she’s a Bronx girl is just patently ridiculous." "Everybody in our community knows this is just a bold-face lie," said Slater on "Fox & Friends First" last week. "She grew up in Yorktown, she was on my track team." "She's lying about her background, she's lying about her upbringing," Slater claimed. Slater’s post sent social media ablaze and prompted Ocasio-Cortez to respond after an image if her family’s home was posted online. “I’m proud of how I grew up and talk about it all the time," Ocasio-Cortez wrote on X Friday responding to the post. “My mom cleaned houses and I helped. We cleaned tutors’ homes in exchange for SAT prep." “Growing up between the Bronx and Yorktown deeply shaped my views of inequality & it’s a big reason I believe the things I do today!"
Additionally, four in five respondents expressed concerns that Iran may retaliate by targeting U.S. civilians in response to the airstrikes.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll surveyed 1,132 adult Americans, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.2 percentage points.
In conclusion, the poll results highlight the deep partisan divisions among Americans regarding the recent military strikes on Iran and President Trump’s handling of the situation. The concerns raised about the efficacy of the airstrikes and the potential for retaliatory actions underscore the complex and delicate nature of U.S.-Iran relations in the current geopolitical landscape.
