A solid majority of American voters back President Barack Obama’s preliminary nuclear deal with Iran, a poll by Quinnipiac University showed Monday.
Some 58 percent of voters back the framework understanding on a final deal, which would impose constraints on Tehran’s nuclear activities for a specified period of time in exchange for lifting sanctions, AFP reported. An outline agreement was reached on April 2 between Iran and the major powers, but met with fierce opposition from US Republicans.
While voters overwhelmingly backed the accord being put to a vote in the Republican-controlled Congress, only 33 percent of voters opposed the deal, far less than the number of people who vote for the Republican Party.
Forty-seven Senate Republicans -- including several potential 2016 presidential candidates -- have signed an open letter to Iranian officials warning the deal might not be honored by a Republican administration. Iran and international powers hope to have a final deal in place by the end of June. Some 77 percent of voters said they wanted to see a negotiated settlement to the nuclear crisis rather than military intervention.
“Americans are worried about Iran, but not enough to send in the troops,” said Tim Malloy of Quinnipiac.
The poll was taken between April 16 and 21 and surveyed 1,353 registered voters.
