WASHINGTON (CBSDC) — As rhetoric of an Israeli strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities escalates, a new poll shows a majority of Americans are not in favor of that idea.

A new poll conducted by the University of Maryland shows that 69 percent of respondents were in favor of the U.S. continuing to pursue negotiations with Iran. Only 24 percent favored an Israeli strike.

The study finds Americans worry that an Israeli-Iranian conflict could last for years.

“[F]ew Americans believe that a strike will involve a short exchange: a large majority believes that a strike would lead to at least months of military conflict between Iran and Israel, and half believe that it would go on for years,” the study conducted by the Anwar Sadat Chair said.

If Israel does decide to take the military route against Iran, only one in four favors the U.S. of providing military support for its ally. Only one in five of Israelis supported a strike on Iran without the backing of the U.S.

Iranian officials say they will not stop its country’s nuclear program, claiming it is for peaceful purposes only.

President Obama has expressed his feelings about an Israeli strike to Prime Minister Netanyahu, saying recent United Nations sanctions should be allowed to work before a military intervention. The U.S. fears it will be pulled into another conflict with its military already worn thin due to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Netanyahu has warned there might not be any other action to take with Iran to stop its nuclear program.

The survey used a sample size of 727 respondents.