WASHINGTON - A recent national poll that closed on Thursday indicates a clear disconnect between public expectation and public support regarding a potential U.S. ground campaign in Iran. Some 65% of respondents said they believe President Trump will order U.S. troops into a large-scale ground war in Iran, yet just 7% said they would support that scenario.
The survey sampled 1,545 adults across the United States and carries a margin of error of about 3 percentage points. The president's overall standing in the poll remained effectively steady at 40%, a one percentage point rise compared with a separate survey taken in the hours after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on February 28.
Officials in the administration have considered a range of military options to bolster U.S. operations in the Middle East. Discussions have included deploying thousands of troops to reinforce current forces, using air and naval assets to protect the passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, and placing forces along Iran's shoreline. One option under consideration would focus on Kharg Island, which handles roughly 90% of Iran's oil exports.
The poll reveals a pronounced partisan split in attitudes toward recent military actions. Seventy-seven percent of Republicans said they approve of U.S. strikes on Iran, compared with 6% of Democrats and 28% of independents. Overall approval of the war stood at 37%, while 59% of respondents disapproved. The disapproval total includes about one in five Republicans.
On the narrower question of limited deployments, the survey found 63% of Republicans - and 34% of all respondents - would back sending a small number of special forces to Iran. Still, a majority of respondents across the electorate expressed resistance to ground operations: 55% said they opposed deploying any ground troops, whether on a large or small scale.
The responses capture public unease with expanded military engagement even as many Americans anticipate further escalation. The poll's methodological details indicate a broad national sample and the stated margin of error, but do not resolve the political and economic uncertainties that such possible deployments could raise.