As tensions escalated with Iran, 78 percent of Americans said they opposed military action against Iran, according to a Gallup Poll released on August 20, 2019. The vast majority of Republicans (72 percent) and Democrats (86 percent) said they instead favored economic or diplomatic efforts. The poll was taken between July 15-31, after Iran shot down a U.S. drone on June 20 and President Trump called off military retaliation.
65% of Americans express concern that the U.S. will be too quick to use military force to halt Iran’s nuclear program. https://t.co/uY8sRsO7jU
— GallupNews (@GallupNews) August 20, 2019
Americans were less unified, however, if non-military efforts failed: 53 percent of Americans polled said Washington should refrain from military action even if diplomatic and economic measures failed; 42 percent said the United States should launch kinetic operations. Positions split divided along partisan lines: 68 percent of Democrats were opposed to military action as a second option, while 60 percent of Republicans supported military action as a fallback.
But most Americans (65 percent) expressed concerned that the United States would be “too quick” to use military force to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. The poll again split on party lines: 85 percent of Democrats were “very” or “somewhat” worried; while 56 percent of Republicans were either “not too concerned” or “not concerned at all” about precipitous U.S. military action.
Click here for more information about the poll.