A new Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted from Friday through Sunday indicates that two-thirds of U.S. adults favor a swift end to American involvement in the Iran war, even if doing so means the United States does not accomplish the objectives outlined by the Trump administration.
Specifically, 66% of those surveyed said the United States should work to end its involvement quickly despite potentially not achieving its goals. By contrast, 27% said the United States should try to achieve all its goals in Iran even if that requires a longer period of engagement. Six percent of respondents gave no answer to that question.
The survey captured notable divisions within the Republican Party. Among Republicans who support former President Trump, 40% said they favored ending the conflict quickly even if U.S. goals went unmet, while 57% preferred continued involvement to try to reach all objectives.
Respondents also expressed clear views on recent U.S. military action: 60% disapproved of strikes on Iran, while 35% approved, according to the poll of 1,021 people.
Poll participants highlighted economic pain tied to the conflict. The month-long war has expanded across the Middle East, with the poll noting that thousands of people have been killed and that global energy markets have been affected, contributing to inflation concerns worldwide.
One conspicuous domestic effect has been rising gasoline prices. Data from price tracking service GasBuddy showed that the national average for a gallon of gasoline rose above $4 on Monday for the first time in more than three years. Two in three respondents expected gas prices to worsen over the next year; that expectation included 40% of Republicans surveyed.
Political implications were also reflected in the poll. Trump’s Republicans face voters in November’s midterm elections, which will determine whether they can retain narrow majorities in both the House and the Senate. The survey notes that the incumbent president’s party typically loses seats in midterm contests.
Finally, a majority of those polled said they believed the conflict would have a mostly negative impact on their personal financial situation, a view shared by 39% of Republicans who responded to the survey.
Methodology note: The results reported here are drawn from a Reuters/Ipsos poll of 1,021 respondents conducted over a three-day period from Friday through Sunday.