49% of Americans in favor of Iran strike

Ynetnews -- Nearly half of American voters think the United States should use military force to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, according to a poll conducted for The Hill newspaper, which covers events relating to the Congress.

According to the poll, 49% of respondents said military force should be used, while 31% said it should not and 20% were not sure.

In addition, 62% of respondents said they were somewhat or very concerned about Iran launching a terror attack against the United States, while 37% said they were not very concerned or not at all concerned.

Although the Iranians deny pursuing nuclear weapons, few outside of Tehran believe the claim, and how to prevent such a scenario has become a hot election-year issue. Previous polls also showed the majority of Americans are in favor of a strike on Iran.

US President Barack Obama said in his State of the Union address: "Let there be no doubt: America is determined to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and I will take no options off the table to achieve that goal."

Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney blamed Obama for failing to confront Iran. "A nuclear-armed Iran is not only an Israeli problem, it is a problem for the United States and all the decent countries of the world," said Romney. Republican contender Rick Santorum said that if he's elected president, he would bomb Iran's nuclear facilities unless they were opened up for international arms inspectors.