Public support among Americans for the U.S. role in the ongoing conflict with Iran is declining. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll reveals that only one in three Americans supports this war. Meanwhile, the majority of people feel that President Trump has yet to clearly articulate the U.S. objectives in the conflict.
The poll, conducted from last Friday through Sunday, also indicates a slight rise in Trump’s overall public approval rating. His current popularity stands at 37 percent, up three points from last month.
However, many view Trump’s stance on the Iran conflict as ambiguous. Sixty-nine percent of respondents believe Trump has failed to provide a clear explanation regarding why the U.S. became involved in the war or what its goals are. Even among Republicans who support Trump, nearly four out of ten share this view.
White House spokesperson Olivia Wells stated that Trump does not base his decisions on public opinion polls. She asserted that Trump’s primary objective is to prevent Iran from ever acquiring nuclear weapons.
According to the poll, public support for the war has remained below 40 percent since the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran in late February. This figure is significantly lower than the levels of public support seen at the onset of other conflicts in recent decades.
At the start of the Iraq War in 2003, approximately 70 percent of Americans supported the conflict, while support stood at around 90 percent at the beginning of the war in Afghanistan in 2001.
Public dissatisfaction regarding the war is mounting political pressure on Trump and the Republican Party ahead of the midterm elections scheduled for this coming November.
Alex O’Mack, a retired Marine from Georgia, said, “It isn’t clear why we got involved in a war with Iran. I have no idea.”
O’Mack noted that he became a Republican because he admired the role played by then-President George H.W. Bush during the Gulf War; however, his support for Trump has waned due to the current conflict.
To date, 18 U.S. soldiers have been killed in this conflict. Meanwhile, thousands of lives have been lost in Iran and Lebanon.
The war has also impacted the U.S. economy. The average price of a gallon of gasoline across the country is now slightly above four dollars, up from approximately three dollars before the war began.
Alex Conant, a Republican political analyst, notes that the economic downturn caused by the war is making it difficult for Republicans to retain voter confidence.
During the 2024 election campaign, Trump had promised not to entangle the United States in any long-term wars. Initially, he had predicted that a war with Iran would not last more than four to five weeks.
However, criticism has mounted as the conflict has dragged on. Trump has repeatedly insisted that this war cannot be compared to the Vietnam War.
Ryan Anderson, a resident of Georgia who voted for Trump in 2024, believes Trump should prioritize domestic issues over foreign conflicts.
“I think we should focus on the problems facing our own people first,” Ryan said. “Israel is our ally, sure. But there are many people right here in this country who need help.”
The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll surveyed 1,246 American adults. The survey had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.
