More than 75% of registered voters in a Harvard-Harris poll said Iran’s “nuclear weapons facilities” should be destroyed, while over half support Israeli strikes to achieve that goal.
While the Trump administration has promised "maximum pressure" on Iran, saying the Islamic Republic cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons, 72% of the Democrat voters and 82% of Republicans opted in the poll "to destroy Iran's nuclear weapons facilities."
The poll’s wording assumed that Iran possesses nuclear weapons and did not specify which of Iran’s nuclear facilities are being used for weapons production.
Iran denies seeking nuclear weapons and the United States last publicly assessed that Tehran's enrichment levels aimed to give it the ability to rapidly build a bomb but it had not yet chosen to do so.
When asked if the US should support Israel in airstrikes these facilities, 57% overall said yes, 45% of Democrats and 74% of Republicans.
The IAEA has not confirmed that Iran's current nuclear program has a military aspect. However, it has previously raised concerns about Iran’s pre-2003 nuclear weapons activities and more recent tensions over uranium enrichment approaching weapons-grade levels.
Despite concerns over undeclared nuclear materials and Iran’s lack of full cooperation, no official UN or IAEA report states that Iran is actively developing a nuclear weapon today.
The February survey was carried out on 2,443 registered voters, the results gauging public opinion, with an overwhelming majority showing a massive approval rating for the second term of President Donald Trump.
While Trump has promised a policy of ‘maximum pressure’ on Iran, he has also made clear his preference for diplomatic channels over military.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on Tuesday: ”Iran's position in the nuclear talks is completely clear, and we will not negotiate under pressure and sanctions.
"There is no possibility of direct negotiations between us and the US as long as maximum pressure is being applied in this manner.”
In 2018, during his first term, Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA, and imposed 'maximum pressure' sanctions on Tehran, practically reducing Iran’s oil exports to less than 500,000 barrels per day and blocking the revenues in foreign banks.
Last month, Trump said he hoped a new deal over Iran's nuclear program meant the United States would not have to support an Israeli attack on Iran.
"It would really be nice if that could be worked out without having to go that further step ... Iran hopefully will make a deal, and if they don't make a deal, I guess that's okay too,” he said during a press conference at the Oval.
However, this week, Israeli foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar has warned that a military option to stop Iran gaining nuclear weapons may be the only way forward.
Speaking to POLITICO, he said “we don't have much time". Only last year, the UN’s nuclear chief, Rafael Grossi, warned that Iran was “weeks not months” from a nuclear weapon.
"I think that in order to stop a nuclear Iranian program before it will be weaponized, a reliable military option should be on the table," Sa’ar said, as Iran has already enriched enough uranium for what he said was “a couple of bombs”.
