'44% of Americans support strike against Iran'

New YouGov poll shows plurality of Americans support attack on Iranian nuclear facilities; Europeans, Middle Easterners more wary.

By NIV ELIS
US Air Force F-15E releases a GBU-28 "Bunker Buster" 390 (photo credit: REUTERS/Handout)
US Air Force F-15E releases a GBU-28 "Bunker Buster" 390
(photo credit: REUTERS/Handout)
Americans are more likely than Europeans or Middle Easterners to support a strike against Iran, according to a YouGov poll released this week.
In the United States, 44 percent of those polled supported bombing Iran's nuclear facilities, whereas only 23% of British, 20% of Middle Easterners, and 18% of Germans supported such a move.
Talk of a possible strike by American or Israeli forces raised tension with the Islamic Republic in recent weeks, as the US and EU imposed fresh sanctions on Iranian oil exports and its central bank.
Iran has also been working furiously to transfer its nuclear facilities to underground sites, which even the most advanced US bunker busters reportedly cannot penetrate.
Iranian television quoted senior Revolutionary Guard official Brig.-Gen. Masoud Jazayeri this week as saying that threats of a strike lacked credibility, as the US and Israel were aware of Tehran's counterattack abilities.
The survey also found that in the Middle East - defined as the Gulf states, North Africa and the Levant - Iran sanctions enjoyed the support of 44% of the population, still only a fraction of the 70% support seen in the United States.