Just One in Three Americans back Iran War, most Unsure of Trump’s Goals

Just one in three Americans support the war on Iran, the lowest reading in a Reuters/Ipsos poll since the five-month-old conflict’s early days, with ​most respondents saying that President Donald Trump has failed to explain his goals.

The poll, conducted Friday through Sunday, also showed the Republican president’s approval rating ticking higher to ‌37%, up three points from last month when his rating tied the lowest of his presidency.

Trump has offered shifting objectives for the conflict such as aiding Iranians to topple their leaders, taking out Iran’s ballistic-missile capabilities and preventing it from obtaining a nuclear weapon. The poll found that 69% of Americans — including four in 10 Republicans – think Trump has not “clearly explained the goals of U.S. military involvement in Iran.”

White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales said Trump will not make decisions based on “fluid opinion ​polls” and reiterated the president’s resolve to prevent Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon. “What matters most to the American people is having a commander in chief who takes ​bold action to keep them safe,” Wales said.

Approval of the conflict has been below 40% since the U.S. and Israel launched strikes ⁠on February 28 — a stark contrast to the opening months of other recent conflicts. (Read more from “Just One in Three Americans back Iran War, most Unsure of Trump’s Goals” HERE)