45 percent against potential US strikes in Iran: Poll

Just under half of U.S. adults in a recent snap survey said they are against potential U.S. strikes in Iran.

The snap poll, conducted by The Washington Post, found that 45 percent said they would not back “the U.S. military launching air strikes against Iran over its nuclear program,” while 25 percent said the opposite and 30 percent said they were “unsure.”

The results come as President Trump and his administration mull the possibility of interceding in the conflict, which was exacerbated last week after Israel launched an attack on Iran's nuclear facilities and ballistic missile sites. The incident, which killed several top Iranian leaders and scientists, has led to nearly a week of tit-for-tat strikes.

Iran is a major backer of Palestinian militant group Hamas, which has been fighting with Israel in the Gaza Strip since October 2023.

Trump has largely avoided discussions related to targeting Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei directly — but has not ruled out interceding on behalf of Israel. The U.S. military earlier this week appeared to be positioning itself for that possibility, with the Pentagon ordering more "capabilities" to be deployed to the Middle East.

On Wednesday, Trump dodged a question on whether the U.S. would directly strike Iran's nuclear facilities — as talks over dismantling the program between the nation's counterparts have largely been stalled.

“You don’t seriously think I’m going to answer that question. Will you strike the Iranian nuclear component?” the president said.

“I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do. I can tell you this, that Iran’s got a lot of trouble," he added. "And they want to negotiate. And I say why didn’t you negotiate with me before all this death and destruction."

When asked in the snap poll about “how serious a threat” they believe Iran and its nuclear program pose to the U.S., 22 percent of respondents said it was “an immediate and serious threat." Another 48 percent called it “a somewhat serious threat,” 23 percent called it “a minor threat” and 7 percent said it was “not a threat.”

Most of the respondents also seemed to be up to date on news about the back-and-forth strikes between Israel and Iran. Asked how much they have heard, about 70 percent said they knew a "great deal" or "a good amount," while the remaining 30 percent said "little" or "none."

The Post poll took place June 18, featuring 1,008 people and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.6 percentage points.