79% worry Iran may target U.S. civilians after airstrikes

24/6/2025 6:06

Americans are anxious

over a brewing conflict between the U.S. and Iran and worry the

violence could escalate after President Donald Trump ordered the

bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities, according to a

Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Monday.

Some 79% of Americans surveyed said they worried "that Iran may

target U.S. civilians in response to the U.S. airstrikes." The

three-day poll, which began after the U.S. airstrikes and ended

early Monday before Iran launched missiles at a U.S. air base in

Qatar, showed Americans were similarly concerned about their

country's military personnel stationed in the Middle East. Some

84% said they worried in general about the growing conflict.



The poll, which surveyed 1,139 U.S. adults nationwide,

underscored deep divisions in America over what Washington

should do next and highlighted the political risks faced by

Trump, whose presidential approval rating fell to 41%, the

lowest level of his current term in office that began in

January.



Some 36% of respondents - including 13% of Democrats and

69% of Republicans - said they supported the strikes, which

took place just two days ago. The poll had a 3 percentage point

margin of error and the public's view of the conflict could

evolve in the days and weeks ahead.



Only 32% of people in the survey said they supported

continued U.S. airstrikes, compared to 49% who said they were

opposed. However, within Trump's Republican Party, 62% backed

further strikes and 22% were opposed. Republicans were more

deeply divided when asked if they supported an immediate end to

U.S. involvement in the conflict with Iran, with 42% saying

Washington should end its involvement now and 40% opposed to the

idea.



Significant majorities of Democrats were opposed to bombing

Iran further and in favor of ending the conflict immediately.

Trump ordered the U.S. military to bomb Iran's nuclear sites on

Saturday, a dramatic and risky shift in foreign policy following

repeated pledges by Trump to avoid military interventions in

major foreign wars. Trump has built his political brand around a

pledge to put "America first," and his election campaigns last

year and ahead of his first term in office both stressed

opposition to U.S. involvement in foreign wars.



APPROVAL HITS LOWEST OF NEW TERM



The president's overall approval rating, down 1 percentage

point from 42% earlier in the month, has largely held steady in

recent months, but is below the 47% reading in a Reuters/Ipsos

poll just after he returned to the White House.



Approval of his foreign policy stance fell more sharply,

down 4 points to 35%, with more Americans disapproving than

approving of his handling of relations with Israel, Iran, Russia

and Ukraine -- all engulfed in war at the moment.



Approval over Trump's handling of the economy slipped 4

points to 35% while his rating on immigration, his strongest

showing among different areas of policy, fell 1 percentage point

to 43%.



The Trump administration has aggressively stepped up

immigration enforcement over the past month, with Immigration

and Customs Enforcement officials given a daily quota to make

3,000 arrests per day, 10 times the average last year during

Democratic President Joe Biden's administration.