Multiple US polls have shown that most Americans do not support the US government going into war with Iran, but this has not deterred President Donald Trump from launching the war.
Mr Trump, on Saturday, confirmed that the US ordered the attack on Iran, shortly after Israel announced the launch of strikes targeted at Iran.
The president has claimed that the attack on Iran is aimed at eliminating the “imminent threat” from the Iranian regime to the “American people;” a stance most Americans appear to disagree with.
“Short time ago, the US military began a major combat operation in Iran. Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating threats from the Iranian regime,” he said.
A joint survey conducted by The Economist and YouGov, a global public opinion and data firm, found that most Americans oppose US military action against Iran and are displeased with how Mr Trump has been handling the situation.
The poll, conducted between 30 January and 2 February, surveyed 1,672 US adult citizens.
It showed that 49 per cent of Americans somewhat or strongly oppose such action, while only 27 per cent support it.
The survey also revealed that opinions on military action are largely split along party lines, with a majority of Republicans supporting the use of force, while most Democrats oppose it.
A clear partisan divide emerged, with 76 per cent of Democrats opposing an attack, compared with 57 per cent of Republicans who supported it.
While most Americans are not opposed to the overthrow of Iran’s leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, 39 per cent oppose the use of military force to execute this.
YouGov reported that the overall margin of error for the full sample is approximately ±3.2 percentage points.
Separate polls from the Associated Press‑NORC Centre for Public Affairs Research, Quinnipiac University, and the University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll also showed broad public scepticism about US military action against other countries and strong opposition to war.
Americans do not want an aggressive foreign policy
A growing number of US voters want Mr Trump to take a less active role in global affairs and want less aggressive foreign policy decisions.
The AP‑NORC poll, which surveyed 1203 people, found that a majority of Americans believe Mr Trump had “gone too far” with his foreign policy decision.
The Quinnipiac University poll, which surveyed registered voters, found that 7 out of 10 voters oppose US military involvement in Iran.
The poll conducted in January surveyed 1,133 registered voters.
It also found that opposition was along party lines, with 79 per cent of Democrats and 80 per cent of independents opposing military involvement.
The poll also found that 70 per cent of voters wanted Mr Trump to receive congressional approval first before taking military action; an expectation that the president has failed to meet.
Framing the operation as necessary to counter Iran, President Trump did not obtain Congress’s approval before launching the attack. He is believed to have violated both the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution by doing so.
Analysts and lawmakers have criticised Mr Trump’s unjustified act of war not approved by Congress.
Members of Congress wanted to advance legislation that limits President Trump’s ability to take unilateral military action against Iran without congressional approval.
Earlier, Mr Trump had criticised Republican Congressmen who supported the resolution, calling for their ouster.
“Republicans should be ashamed of the Senators who just voted with Democrats in attempting to take away our Powers to fight and defend the United States of America,” he said.
A University of Maryland Poll also confirmed that a higher percentage of Americans do not want the US to initiate a war.
US attack on Iran
At least 40 female students in an elementary school in Iran have been killed by US and Israeli missile strikes.
But Mr Trump has insisted that the decision to attack Iran was to protect Americans.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that he is also seeking to overthrow the Iranian government.
Mr Trump told Iranian citizens to “take over your government. It will be yours to take.”
“I say tonight that the hour of your freedom is at hand. Stay sheltered. Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take,” he said.
“No president was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight. Now you have a president who is giving you what you want.”
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He also told the Iranians that it “is the time to seize control of your destiny.”
However, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and the UAE have been caught in the crossfire as Iran, in retaliation, targeted US bases in these countries.
While many bases targeted by Iran are believed to have been emptied as the US expected such retaliation, UAE authorities confirm that one person was killed by Iranian missiles.
Analysts had earlier warned that this attack could further destabilise the Middle East.
Many Gulf countries have closed their airspace, grounding hundreds of flights worldwide.