Americans growing more skeptical of Iran deal — poll

Americans who were undecided about the Iran nuclear deal last month are increasingly opposing the agreement, a WSJ/NBC poll published Monday found.

Support for the deal remains consistent with survey results from June, at roughly one-third.

According to the poll, 33 percent of respondents oppose the deal, up from 17% in June. The number of those who felt they didn’t know enough to form an opinion on the accord dropped from 46% in June to 32% in the recent poll.

Backing for the deal still topped outright opposition to it at 35%, compared to 36% in June, with higher support among Democrats (58%) than Republicans (15%).

The deal, reached July 14 between Iran and world powers, curtails Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for easing international sanctions.

Critics, including Republicans, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and a majority of Israeli coalition and opposition leaders, worry that the limits on that program do not go far enough, and that Iran will not face meaningful ramifications if it breaks the agreement.

Supporters, including US President Barack Obama and his cabinet members, who have been seeking to rally Congress behind the deal in recent weeks, have insisted the agreement is a good one, and will prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons for over a decade.

But while Democrats stepped up their support of the agreement, House Republicans said Monday that they had the party votes to disapprove of the nuclear deal, which the Obama administration and other world powers negotiated with Iran in Vienna.

It’s unclear, however, if there would be enough votes in the House to override President Barack Obama’s expected veto of the legislation. The president is counting on fellow Democrats to sustain his veto, and House Minority leader Nancy Pelosi has said they will.

On Monday, Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff and Anna Eshoo joined an expanding list of representatives who have announced their support of the international accord.

Schiff, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said the deal “realistically precludes Iran from developing an atomic bomb” for at least 15 years.

Congress is engaged in a 60-day review of the deal, and Schiff’s decision to back the agreement is a boost for Obama.

AP contributed to this report.