Americans Don’t Favor Military Action Against Iran

Military action against Iran to get it to shut down its nuclear facilities is not favorable for a vast majority of Americans, who much prefer economic and diplomatic efforts.

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Idea of the Day

Idea of the Day

Conservatives in the United States are indulging in a lot of saber rattling lately, accusing the Obama adminstration of not being sufficiently eager to launch a military strike against Iran. Over in Israel, President Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling conservative coalition has been doing much of the same. The possibility of a nuclear-armed Iran needs to be taken very seriously, of course, but war is also very serious and not to be rushed into. That measured-but-firm approach is shared by the majority of Americans and Israelis.

In the United States a recent CNN poll found that when the public is given a choice between immediate military action, economic and diplomatic efforts to get Iran to shut down its nuclear program, and no action, the dominant choice is economic and diplomatic efforts (60 percent). Just 17 percent want military action now. Only 22 percent prefer to take no action.

For more on this topic, please see:

Public Opinion Snapshot: Americans and Israelis Urge Caution on Military Action Against Iran by Ruy Teixeira

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