Most Americans Say the Iran War Is Not Worth Fighting

A Change Research national survey of 2,045 registered voters, conducted August 8 to 13, 2026, finds that 57% of Americans feel the war in Iran is not worth fighting and 48% feel the conflict could go on indefinitely. The survey carries a modeled margin of error of ±2.3 percentage points.

President Donald Trump announced major combat operations against Iran on February 28, 2026, with joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting military, government, and infrastructure sites. Delegations from the U.S. and Iran entered negotiations in June, but the U.S. and Iran have continued to exchange strikes, with the Strait of Hormuz as the primary flashpoint. The conflict has put mounting stress on the U.S. fleet, with multiple carrier groups rotating through the region as the administration continues to ramp up economic pressure on Tehran.

Duration of the Conflict

48% of voters say the Iran conflict could go on indefinitely. 33% say it will end eventually but not soon. 12% say it will likely end soon.

79% of Democrats say the conflict could go on indefinitely, compared to 20% of Republicans who say the same. 49% of Republicans say it will end eventually but not soon, and 23% say it will end soon.

Progress on U.S. Goals

40% of voters say the U.S. is making at least some progress: 27% say the U.S. is “making some progress,” and 14% say it is clearly achieving its goal. 53% say the U.S. is either failing to achieve its goal or not making much progress, including 40% who say the U.S. is failing to achieve its goal outright.

The partisan gap is wide. 74% of Democrats say the U.S. is failing to achieve its goal in Iran, compared to 7% of Republicans. Among Republicans, 51% say the U.S. is making some progress or clearly achieving its goal.

Costs and Benefits

57% of voters say the war in Iran is not worth fighting when weighing costs against benefits to the U.S., compared to 32% who say it is worth fighting.

92% of Democrats say the war is not worth fighting. 76% of independents say the same. Among Republicans, 65% say the war is worth fighting and 18% say it is not.

When asked whether the U.S. made the right decision in using military force in Iran, 54% say it was the wrong decision and 35% say it was the right decision. 89% of Democrats say it was the wrong decision. 70% of Republicans say it was the right decision.

National Safety

49% of voters said the Iran war has made the United States less safe. 23% said it has made the country safer, and 18% said it has made no difference.

Methodology

Polling was conducted online from August 8–13, 2026. Using Dynamic Online Sampling to attain a representative sample, Change Research polled 2,045 registered voters in the United States. The modeled margin of error is ±2.3 percentage points. Members of AAPOR’s Transparency Initiative disclose all relevant details about our research, with the principle that the public should be able to evaluate and understand research-based findings, in order to instill and restore public confidence in survey results.