Most Americans say Iran war is not worth it as Trump's ratings slide

Washington,UPDATED: Jul 30, 2026 15:12 IST

Most Americans say the war with Iran has not been worth fighting, and US President Donald Trump's approval rating on the issue has slipped since last month, according to a new AP-NORC poll. About two-thirds of US adults said the war, which began on February 28, has not been worthwhile, including overwhelming majorities of Democrats and independents and about 37 per cent of Republicans.

The poll, conducted from July 23 to 27, came as the US and Iran paused attacks after a nearly two-week escalation. During that period, the US targeted Iranian military and commercial sites, while Iran attacked US military facilities in the Middle East, leading to more American service member deaths. Eighteen US service members have been killed since the war began, though the Trump administration has sought to revise those figures. The findings also pose a challenge for congressional Republicans facing re-election in November after backing Trump's military action.

Just 28 per cent of US adults now approve of how Trump is handling Iran, down from 34 per cent last month. Among Republicans, about 61 per cent approve, compared with 71 per cent in June. The poll noted that the margin of sampling error for Republicans is 6 percentage points, so the drop is slight, but notable given their much higher approval of Trump's handling of the presidency overall.

Trump's overall approval rating stands at 33 per cent, slightly lower than at the same stage of his first term and similar to where former President Joe Biden stood about one and a half years into his presidency, when inflation was at its peak.

Robert McClary, a 52-year-old Republican from Sugar Grove, Ohio, said he doubted the war could be brought to an easy end and disapproved of Trump's handling of it. McClary, who voted for Trump in 2016, said the president had campaigned in the last election on not starting new wars in the Middle East. He said, 'I don't have any trust in this administration at all and to why they brought us into this war, why they're putting our soldiers at risk again.'

The poll also suggested that many Americans' priorities do not fully match Trump's stated reason for the war. Trump has repeatedly said the war was launched to keep a nuclear weapon out of Iran's hands. While about two-thirds of US adults said it is extremely or very important to stop Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, an even larger share said it is highly important to keep petrol prices low or negotiate a permanent ceasefire with Iran. McClary added, 'I really don't know what you can do now. I mean, you've kind of gotten yourself buried into this mess.'

There was little support for a prolonged conflict. Only about 2 in 10 US adults said military action in Iran should continue. About 3 in 10 said the US should pause military action and seek a renewed ceasefire through negotiations, while about 2 in 10 wanted military action to stop completely. Roughly one-quarter said they did not know enough to say.

About half of Republicans said the US should continue military action, especially those who described themselves as very conservative. Republicans who identify with the Make America Great Again movement were much more likely than non-MAGA Republicans to support continuing the war. Non-MAGA Republicans were more likely to back a ceasefire or a complete halt. Independents and Democrats were more likely than Republicans to favour an immediate stop, though about 3 in 10 Republicans also supported either a pause or a complete stop.

Jennifer Norton, a 71-year-old Republican from Crossville, Tennessee, said she supported military action in Iran but was unhappy about rising prices for items such as beef roasts and hamburgers. Norton, who said she lives on a modest income, added, 'I am getting a little impatient, but when I start to dwell on that for a minute, I remember Mr. President Trump is a brilliant businessman. He can't tell us exactly what he's doing, but I trust that he's doing something. I mean, he is doing fine.'

Ryan Sloan, a 39-year-old Republican in Lakeland, Florida, said he had recently come to disapprove of the conflict because he wanted a better explanation from the Trump administration about why the war intensified in late July. He said, 'Let's face it, not everybody's going to be happy with him. I just wish I'd have had more transparency about why things were going on the way they were.'

Concerns about the cost of the war at home remained high. About 72 per cent of US adults said it is extremely or very important for the US to prevent domestic oil and gas prices from rising, up from 67 per cent in March. Oil rose above USD 100 a barrel last week, ending a short period of lower prices after tensions eased in June. Average petrol prices went above USD 4 a gallon, and higher fuel costs have also affected wider spending. Inflation cooled last month but remained high, and consumer spending has slowed, with signs that Americans are relying on discounts and other incentives.

About 4 in 10 Americans said the cost of petrol for their car is a major source of stress in their life right now, compared with about 3 in 10 in February. Mikal Baker, a 47-year-old independent from Sandy Springs, Georgia, said he disapproved of the war and was frustrated by its effect on fuel prices. He said, 'I don't see the benefit. I don't see the total benefit of the American citizen for this war.' He added, 'I can't say it will ever be over with.'

Even so, concern about being able to afford petrol in the next few months eased slightly, with about 4 in 10 saying they were extremely or very concerned, down from 45 per cent in March.

On the broader goals of the conflict, about 7 in 10 Americans said it is extremely or very important for the US to negotiate a permanent ceasefire with Iran. That was slightly higher than the roughly two-thirds who said it is at least very important to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, and well above the 4 in 10 who said it is extremely or very important to stop Iran from threatening Israel.

At the start of the conflict, Trump said the US aims were to weaken Iran's military capability, eliminate its Navy and Air Force, stop it from obtaining nuclear weapons and protect US allies in the region. Republicans, in particular, placed greater weight on preventing Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. About 8 in 10 Republicans said this was at least very important, compared with roughly 7 in 10 who said the same about keeping oil and gas prices down and securing a permanent ceasefire. Sloan said, 'We are most definitely their number one targets once they do have nuclear capabilities.'

The poll showed broad unease in the US over the war's value, its human and financial cost, and the course of military action, even as many Americans continue to see preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon as an important goal.

With PTI Inputs

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