Most Americans Support The 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal

Today, U.S. President Donald Trump is expected to outline his stance on Iran amid instense speculation he is going to decertify the 2015 nuclear deal. Trump has frequently criticized the accord, calling it "an embarrassment" and "the worst deal ever negotiated". Even though de-certifying the deal would not result in American withdrawal, it would give Congress 60 days to decide whether or not to reimpose sanctions suspended by it. If Trump does press ahead, he would be going against warnings from inside and outside his administration, leading to U.S. isolation and possibly resulting in a new nuclear crisis, this time in the Middle East.

New research from YouGov has found that the American public is also at odds with the president's stance on Iran. 56 percent of people approve of the nuclear agreement, of which 31 percent strongly approve and 25 percent somewhat approve. 19 percent of respondents said they disapprove of the 2015 accord. When it comes to party affiliation, 68 percent of Democrats stand behind the deal while a slight 51 percent majority of Republicans also support it. Interestingly, those high levels of support do not necessarily mean Americans like or trust Iran. 44 percent of people in the U.S. still regard Iran as their country's enemy.