Attack on Iran would have low support in US, poll finds
Trump considers limited strikes against Iran
President Trump is warning that limited strikes against Iran are possible even as the country’s top diplomat said Tehran expects to have a proposed deal ready in the next few days following nuclear talks with the United States.
As tensions between the U.S. and Iran continue to rise, a new poll found that most Americans would oppose the U.S. initiating an attack on the country.
Here’s what to know:
US and Iran tensions
The backstory:
President Trump has threatened action if Tehran does not negotiate a deal to constrain its nuclear program. Meanwhile, he’s built up the largest military presence in the Middle East in decades.
Both sides have signaled they are prepared for war if the talks on Tehran’s nuclear program fail.
Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful, the U.S. and others suspect it is aimed at eventually developing weapons. Iran says it hasn’t been enriching uranium since U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June.
READ MORE: US bombs Iran nuclear sites as Trump hails 'spectacular' success
Latest polling
FILE - A U.S. Marine Corps Lockheed Martin F-35C Lightning II (Joint Strike Fighter) from Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 311 flies at sunset at Marine Corps Air Station on October 21, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Kevin Carter/Get
Big picture view:
A new University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll found that Americans would most commonly oppose the U.S. initiating an attack on Iran.
By the numbers:
The poll, which was carried out Feb. 5-9, found that 21% of Americans favor the United States initiating an attack on Iran, 49% oppose, and 30% said they didn’t know.
Dig deeper:
21% of respondents said they favored an attack on Iran, including 40% of Republicans, 6% of Democrats and 21% of independents. Meanwhile, 49% said they opposed an attack, including 25% of Republicans, 74% of Democrats and 51% of independents. Many more Republicans (35%) than Democrats (19%) said they didn’t know.
Iran latest
Iran opposition official: Iran "preparing for war"
Alireza Jafarzadeh, the deputy director of the Washington office of the National Council on the Resistance of Iran says new satellite images of Iran's nuclear sites show Iran is "preparing for war." Mark Chandler at Coastal Carolina University joined LiveNOW's Josh Breslow to discuss the latest.
Meanwhile:
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran have been rising, with the threat of a potentially imminent military strike.
The United States ordered nonessential diplomats and family members to leave Lebanon this week. Changes in the staffing status of the embassy in Beirut have often been seen as a bellwether for potential U.S. or Israeli military action in the region, particularly against Iran.
What's next:
The next round of nuclear talks between the United States and Iran will be Thursday, Feb. 26, in Geneva.
The Source: Information in this article came from a University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll with SSRS, conducted Feb. 5-9, 2026, among a sample of 1,004 U.S. adults ages 18 and older. Background information was taken from the Associated Press. This story was reported from Detroit.