Most Americans disapprove of the war on Iran, poll shows
A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted just as the US and Israel began a war on Iran on Saturday found that most Americans disapprove of the act, and a significant number more believe President Donald Trump is far too willing to use military force.
Forty-three percent of all respondents to the survey said they disapprove of the attacks on Iran, while 27 percent said they approve. Thirty percent said they don't know, or skipped the question.
Among Democrats specifically, 74 percent said they disapprove, while among Republicans, that figure was only 13 percent.
When asked if Trump wields too much military force, 56 percent of all respondents agreed. Among Democrats, that figure climbed to 87 percent, while among Republicans it was 23 percent.
Seventy-three percent of Republicans said Trump's use of force is "about right".
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Trump campaigned to end all US wars, not start new ones, and has also proclaimed himself a peacemaker deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize.
He has since bombed seven countries during his first year in office - the most by any president in the modern era.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll closed before US casualties were announced in the region.
When asked if American deaths would change their calculus, 42 percent of Republicans said they would be less likely to support the war.
The US-Israeli war on Iran has threatened to spiral out of control into a wider regional war, as Iran targeted both Israel and Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan in retaliation. US-Israeli strikes killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as well as a slew of other Iranian leadership figures.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it has targeted over 500 US and Israeli sites, using 700 drones and hundreds of missiles.
According to the Iranian Red Crescent Society, 555 people have been killed by US and Israeli attacks, and at least 11 people have been killed by Iranian strikes in Israel.
As of Monday morning in Washington, four Americans have been announced killed in Iranian strikes on a US military base in Kuwait. Three US F-15s were downed in Kuwait, Qatar shot down two fighter jets approaching from Iran, and rockets were launched at a British military base in Cyprus.
When the survey asked about the impact of the war on petrol prices in the US, 45 percent of all respondents said they would be less likely to support the war. Among Republicans, that figure was 45 percent.
According to the American Automobile Association on Monday, prices across the country shot up by some 10 cents over the weekend.
In Washington, one US gallon of petrol costs a little over $3.10, which is approximately 3.785 litres
The national average is currently $2.99 per gallon.
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