Source: Pew Research Center

A recent poll released by The Pew Research Center shows that the American public is increasingly determined to stop Iran from attaining nuclear weapons.

According to the poll 56% of respondents said it is important to “Take a firm stand” against Iran. In a January poll only 50% responded to the same question positively. 35% said it was best to “Avoid military conflict with Iran” compared to 41% in January.

Perhaps more revelatory was the grim outlook Americans have of the Middle East in the aftermath of the Arab Spring.

Only 25% of respondents believe that the Arab Spring will lead to better lives for the inhabitants of those countries where it took place. This is down from 42% in the January poll. 57% believe it will not lead to lasting improvements, up from 43% in the January poll. Only 14% believe that the Arab Spring will be good for the United States.

The poll was released ahead of the last and final presidential debate Monday night October 22nd, between Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama. The poll shows that the American public is almost evenly split on their opinions of the two candidate’s foreign policy plan. 45% favor Barack Obama’s handling of Iran compared to  44% for Romney. 47% trust Obama to make smart foreign policy decisions versus 43% for Romney. 47% trust Obama to handle political instability in countries such as Libya and Egypt compared to 42% for Romney.

The poll surveyed 1,511 adults, including 1,201 registered voters.