Opinion polls show that Americans are concerned about the war’s impact on the cost of living and are skeptical of the successes so far.
Published May 1, 2026
A majority of Americans believe the decision to take military action against Iran was a mistake, a new poll finds, as the war disrupts the global economy and fuels concerns about the cost of living in the United States.
A Washington Post ABC-Ipsos poll released Friday found that 61% of respondents believed using military force against Iran was a mistake, while only 36% said it was the right decision.
Recommended stories
list of 3 itemsend of list
The poll is the latest to reveal low approval ratings for the war against Iran launched by the United States and Israel in late February that has killed thousands across the Middle East and sent global energy prices soaring.
When asked if rising gas prices had changed their behavior, 44% of respondents said they had driven less, and 42% said they had done the same with household expenses. Those numbers increased to 56% and 59% for respondents earning less than $50,000 a year.
The concerns come as President Donald Trump’s approval ratings have fallen to new lows as voters express dissatisfaction with the economy and the cost of living.
The war was also drawn as a contrast to President Trump’s pledge to steer the country away from unnecessary foreign wars, with 46% of respondents saying the decision to attack Iran was inconsistent with positions Trump took during the presidential campaign.
Despite relatively low U.S. military casualties, polls have found the war against Iran to be as unpopular as the Iraq War in 2006 and the Vietnam War in the early 1970s.
When asked whether the U.S. military campaign against Iran has been successful so far, 39% said it has been a failure and 19% said it has been a success. 41% said it was “too early to tell.”
But support for the war remains strong among President Trump’s Republicans. Nearly 80% of Republicans said the decision to attack Iran was the right one, but they were evenly divided on whether the assessment mission was a success or whether it was too early to tell.
