The FINANCIAL — Voters aren’t enthusiastic about the final deal negotiated by the United States and several other countries to limit Iran’s nuclear program. They also believe even more strongly that President Obama needs Congress’ okay before moving forward with the deal.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 39% of Likely U.S. Voters favor the agreement the United States has reached with Iran that ends some economic sanctions on that country in exchange for verifiable cutbacks in the Iranian nuclear weapons program. Forty-two percent (42%) are opposed, while 18% are undecided.
These findings are nearly unchanged from April just after the framework of the deal was announced.
Many in Congress oppose the deal, but President Obama declared earlier this week that he would veto any attempt to block it. However, 65% of voters believe any agreement the Obama administration makes with Iran regarding the Iranian nuclear program requires the approval of Congress. That’s up from 60% in March just after 47 GOP Senators went around the president and sent a letter to Tehran expressing their concerns over the negotiations.
Eighteen percent (18%) do not think the administration’s Iranian deal requires congressional approval, but just as many (17%) are not sure.
Voters also remain skeptical about Iran upholding its end of the deal: Just 34% say it’s even somewhat likely Iran will do so, including seven percent (7%) who say it’s Very Likely. The overall finding is up only slightly from 30% earlier this year. Sixty percent (60%) think it’s unlikely Iran will comply with the terms of the deal, including 33% who think that is Not At All Likely.
Only 22% believe the treaty the Obama administration has negotiated with Iran will make the Middle East safer. Nearly twice that many (42%) think it will put the region more at risk. Twenty-four percent (24%) say the treaty will have no impact on the safety and security of the region. Twelve percent (12%) are not sure.
Earlier this year, a plurality (44%) of voters said the treaty the administration has negotiated with Iran puts Israel more at risk. Only 16% think it makes Israel safer. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accepted an invitation by congressional Republicans to speak to Congress about the negotiations, a move Democrats and the White House strongly opposed. A plurality of voters also approved of having the Israeli leader speak in Congress, and an even higher number agreed with Netanyahu’s warnings about the deal.
Fifty-nine percent (59%) of Democrats favor the announced deal with Iran, while the same number of Republicans (59%) are opposed. Voters not affiliated with either political party oppose the deal by a 47% to 37% margin.
Still, 50% of Democrats agree with 78% of Republicans and 69% of unaffiliated voters that any deal reached with Iran must be approved by Congress.
Most Republicans (55%) and half (49%) of unaffiliated voters think the deal will put the Middle East more at risk, but only 23% of Democrats agree. Democrats are also far more confident than the others that Iran will uphold its end of the deal.
Even 53% of voters who favor the deal think it should have the approval of Congress, a view shared by 83% of those who oppose the agreement.
Among voters who favor the deal, 48% think it will make the Middle East safer, while 34% think it will have no impact. Eighty-two percent (82%) who oppose the agreement think it will put the region more at risk.
In April, just 40% of voters were at least somewhat confident that the United States and its allies will be able to verify that Iran is not building nuclear weapons. Voters gave the administration mixed reviews on its handling of the negotiations.
Most voters (54%) still consider Iran to be a vital national security interest for the United States.
Thirty-two percent (32%) of voters think U.S. involvement in Middle East politics has been good for this country, while 49% say this involvement is bad for America.
One-out-of-two voters (49%) believe U.S. government policies in the last five years have hurt America’s relations with most other countries.
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