A recent Reuters/Ipsos poll reveals that a significant majority of Americans do not support the war in Iran, with just one in three expressing approval for the conflict, now in its fifth month. The poll, conducted from Friday through Sunday, also showed President Donald Trump's approval rating at 37%, a three-point increase from the previous month.
Concerns about the war's objectives are widespread, with 69% of respondents, including 40% of Republicans, stating that President Trump has failed to "clearly explained the goals of U.S. military involvement in Iran." Trump has presented various rationales for the conflict, including aiding Iranians in toppling their leadership, neutralizing Iran's ballistic missile capabilities, and preventing the nation from acquiring nuclear weapons.
White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales stated that presidential decisions are not based on "fluid opinion polls." She reiterated the administration's commitment to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons and emphasized the president's resolve to ensure American safety. "What matters most to the American people is having a commander in chief who takes bold action to keep them safe," Wales said.
Approval for the conflict has remained below 40% since U.S. and Israeli forces initiated strikes on February 28. This stands in contrast to the early stages of previous U.S. military engagements. For instance, the Iraq War, which spanned from 2003 to 2011, garnered approximately 70% public support in its initial months. Similarly, the Afghanistan War (2001-2021) saw about 90% public backing in its early days, according to Gallup polling.
The public's apprehension about the war is seen as a potential challenge for Trump and the Republican Party heading into the November midterm elections, where allies of the president are defending narrow majorities in Congress.
Alex Womack, a retired turbine repair specialist and a Republican voter, expressed uncertainty about the war's origins. "It’s not clear why we started a war with them. I have no idea," Womack said. He added that his support for Trump has diminished due to the conflict, stating, "I don’t think he’s doing very well, personally."
To date, 18 American soldiers have died in the conflict, and thousands of Iranian and Lebanese casualties have been reported, with Iran-allied fighters engaging Israeli forces in Lebanon. The war has also contributed to a rise in gasoline prices, now averaging just over $4 per gallon nationwide, up from approximately $3 before the war began.
"This puts pressure on the party in a myriad of ways, all of them bad," commented Alex Conant, a Republican political strategist and former White House spokesman. "The White House officials have been saying since January that they need to win economic arguments. It’s hard to win the economic arguments when you’re clearly focused on foreign policy."
The poll also indicated that independent registered voters are leaning towards Democratic congressional candidates over Republicans by a margin of 36% to 20%. The survey found that independent voters also favor Democrats on economic policy.
During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump pledged to avoid prolonged conflicts and initially estimated the Iran war would last four to five weeks. He has previously expressed frustration with comparisons to protracted conflicts like the Vietnam War.
Rhyan Anderson, an independent voter from Fairburn, Georgia, who supported Trump in 2024, believes the president should prioritize domestic issues over supporting allies. "My biggest thing is just focus on the people who are actually in the country," Anderson said. "I know we have allies and things like that, but there’s a lot of people here that really need help."
Since mid-March, the Reuters/Ipsos survey has tracked support for military action against Iran. In that month, 37% approved of the strikes, a figure that rose to 27% on the day the war commenced. At that initial point, 29% of respondents were unsure.
The latest survey included responses from 1,246 U.S. adults nationwide and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points.