Just under half of Americans approve of Iran war; polls show strong partisan divide

Eighty-five percent of Republicans said they support the military action, while the majority of Democrats and independents said they oppose it.

By Vered Weiss, World Israel News

More than half of American voters oppose the United States’ military campaign against Iran, according to a new national survey released as the conflict with Tehran continues following coordinated US and Israeli strikes.

A Quinnipiac University poll conducted Friday through Sunday found that 53% of voters oppose the US military action ordered by President Trump, while 40% support the operation, known as Epic Fury.

The campaign has resulted in the death of Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and the destruction of large parts of the country’s military infrastructure.

The results place the Quinnipiac survey among several recent national polls that show minority backing for the military action. Surveys by NPR/PBS/Marist (44%-55%), CBS News (44%-56%), NBC News (41%–54%), The Washington Post (39%-52%), CNN (41%-59%), and Reuters/Ipsos (27%-43%) similarly found opposition outweighing support.

Other polling has produced different results. A Fox News survey conducted Feb. 28-March 2 showed Americans evenly divided, with 50% supporting the fighting and 50% opposed. More than 8 in 10 Republicans in that poll approved of the use of force, and 6 in 10 said the president’s actions toward Iran are making the United States safer.

The Quinnipiac survey highlighted a pronounced partisan divide.

Eighty-five percent of Republicans said they support the military action, while the majority of Democrats and independents said they oppose it.

Nearly 8 in 10 Democrats and roughly 6 in 10 independents disapproved of the strikes and said the situation has become less safe because of Trump’s performance.

A majority of respondents in the Quinnipiac poll, 55%, said Iran did not pose an imminent military threat to the United States before the attacks, while nearly four in 10 disagreed.

The partisan gap was again clear: 83% of Democrats and 63% of independents said Iran did not represent an imminent threat, while nearly three-quarters of Republicans said Tehran did.

There was broader agreement across party lines regarding the potential deployment of US ground forces. Nearly three quarters of voters opposed sending ground troops into Iran, including 95% of Democrats, 75% of independents and 52% of Republicans.

Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have repeatedly not ruled out the possibility of deploying ground troops.

Asked Monday how long the fighting might continue, Trump told reporters the operation would end “very soon,” adding, “Look, everything they have is gone, including their leadership.” He also described the campaign as an “excursion.”