President Donald Trump-backed Iran conflict is more unpopular than any other modern American war, new poll shows
Nearly five months into the war with Iran, President Donald Trump is facing public opposition to the conflict at levels not seen for any major modern U.S. war at a comparable stage, according to a review of decades of polling data. The latest surveys show support has continued to decline rather than recover.
A Fox News poll found that 34% of voters approve of Trump’s handling of Iran, while 66% disapprove — his lowest marks on the issue so far. The survey also found that 56% oppose U.S. military action against Iran. Conducted by Beacon Research and Shaw & Company Research, the poll surveyed 1,003 registered voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
A CBS News/YouGov poll showed similar results. Among 2,193 U.S. adults surveyed, 39% approved of Trump’s performance while 61% disapproved. Support for U.S. military action against Iran also fell, declining from 44% in March to 39%. A plurality of respondents, 37%, said they expected the conflict to continue for months, while 21% said years and only 9% said days or weeks.
The war’s unpopularity has deepened
The Iran war remains unusual not only because of its weak initial support but because it has failed to gain backing as the conflict continues.
An Economist/YouGov poll found that 57% of voters considered the war the wrong decision, while only 27% supported it. In April, 30% supported the conflict and 51% opposed it. Trump’s approval rating in the same poll stood at 37%, with 59% disapproving.
Public expectations about the war’s duration have also worsened. The poll found 46% now believe the conflict will last another year or longer, up from 26% in April. Only 8% expected it to end within a month, down from 21% earlier in the year.
A Reuters/Ipsos survey released during the same period found that 58% of voters disapproved of U.S. military strikes against Iran.
No rally effect
The absence of a traditional “rally round the flag” effect has defined polling on the Iran war from the beginning.
Previous conflicts, including the aftermath of the September 11 attacks and the invasion of Afghanistan, produced major short-term boosts in presidential approval. George W. Bush‘s approval rating climbed above 85% after those events, but Trump has seen no comparable increase during the Iran conflict.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in March 2026 found Trump’s approval rating at 36%, his lowest point since returning to the White House. The decline came amid widespread opposition to the Iran war and rising gasoline prices following U.S.-Israeli strikes launched on February 28.
Only 25% approved of Trump’s handling of the cost of living, while 29% approved of his economic management — the weakest economic ratings of either of his presidencies and lower than any economic approval rating recorded for Joe Biden.
Republican strategist and attorney Amanda Makki said at the time, “it’s important that people know that the president feels their pain and that help is on the way.”
Historical comparisons still hold
The comparison with previous U.S. military conflicts remains unchanged under the latest polling.
Gallup’s review of more than a dozen military engagements since the 1980s found only three conflicts that failed to receive majority support at the beginning: Libya in 2011, the Syria strikes of 2017 and 2018 and Iran. The Iran conflict began with lower support than any of those examples.
Recent Fox News and CBS/YouGov polling suggests approval of the war remains roughly 10 to 15 points below Trump’s overall job approval rating, a gap that has remained consistent for months.
Fox News’ late-July survey placed Trump’s overall approval rating at 39%, unchanged for three months, while 61% disapproved. Forty-nine percent said they “strongly” disapproved, matching a previous high.
The poll noted that Trump’s 39% approval rating was similar to Joe Biden’s 40% in July 2022 and Barack Obama’s 42% in July 2014, both during their first midterm election years.
A separate Forbes analysis published July 27 found Trump’s approval ratings continuing to weaken, noting that his CBS/YouGov numbers resembled his standing at the same point in his first term. The survey also found a plurality of voters expected the Iran war to continue for months.
Casualties and the war’s toll remain central to the debate
The growing and disputed casualty figures have remained a major factor in public opposition to the war.
CNN reported that the Pentagon revised its casualty database after restoring four soldiers killed by Iranian strikes who had previously been removed. Combined with updated totals from Operation Epic Fury, 18 U.S. service members have died and 624 have been wounded since the conflict began on February 28.
The Defense Casualty Analysis System also introduced a new tracking category called “Overseas Operations” for casualties beginning July 7, though the Pentagon has not specified which conflicts fall under the category.
Al Jazeera reported that Iran’s Health Ministry said at least 50 people were killed and 500 injured in U.S. strikes during July alone. The U.S. has not released the names of all 17 personnel killed in the conflict, but the Defense Department identified two: Tyler James Feehan, 25 and Isabella Gonzales, 19, who died during attacks in the region.
Before the U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding on June 17 extending their ceasefire, the military had confirmed 13 combat-related deaths, including six crew members killed when a U.S. refueling aircraft crashed in western Iraq in March.
The agreement began a 60-day negotiation period and fighting largely subsided until July 7, when the U.S. and Iran resumed exchanging attacks.