Guardian Essential poll: only a quarter of Australians approve of US-Israel war on Iran

Poll also finds Australians keener for government to forge closer ties with middle powers such as Canada and Japan Peter Lewis: Labor is copping the blame for US ‘excursion’ in Iran. Can they get Trump out of the driver’s seat? Get our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcast Only one in four Australians approve of the US-Israel war on Iran, and just a third have backed the federal government’s actions in sending a military plane and troops to the region, according to a new poll. The latest Guardian Essential poll found Australians are keener for the government to forge closer ties with so-called “middle powers” such as Canada and Japan, with about a third wanting to distance from the US. The poll of 1,008 people last week found 43% disapproved of the US and Israeli bombardment of Iran, while just 26% backed the move. Some 31% were unsure or responded “don’t know”. Regarding Australia’s response to the military action, 34% approved and 25% disapproved, with 40% saying they were unsure or didn’t know. On Tuesday, the defence minister, Richard Marles, refused to rule out extending the deployment beyond the initial four weeks, saying Australia had received requests from the