About two-thirds say Iran war not worth fighting: Survey

International About two-thirds say Iran war not worth fighting: Survey Comments: by Ryan Mancini - 07/30/26 9:25 AM ET Comments: Link copied by Ryan Mancini - 07/30/26 9:25 AM ET Comments: Link copied

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New polling shows that about two-thirds of Americans say the U.S.-Israeli conflict in Iran is not worth fighting.

The Associated Press-NORC Research Center survey, released Thursday, found 64 percent of U.S. adults believe the ongoing fighting is not worth the risks. Another 33 percent said the opposite.

Majorities of Democrats and independents, at 87 percent and 68 percent, respectively, say the conflict is not worth fighting. About 10 percent of Democrats and just over a quarter of independents said it was worth it, according to the poll.

Republicans are the most likely to say the U.S. military operation is worth it. Around 61 percent of GOP voters affirmed that the fighting is worth it, while 37 percent said it is not, the data shows.

The polling also found President Trump’s approval rating tied to his handle on the conflict declining. Republicans have overwhelmingly supported his Iran strategy, but that backing saw a 10-point drop between June and July — falling from 71 percent to 61 percent.

Only 28 percent of U.S. adults in the poll said they approve of his handle on the Middle East conflict. That approval also declined among independents and Democrats, with only 17 percent and 4 percent, respectively, supporting his efforts.

The AP-NORC survey also found that about 2 in 10 Americans want to see the war continue while 3 in 10 say the U.S. should pause strikes and let diplomacy resume. Another 2 in 10 say the fighting should stop completely.

Few Republicans want to see the fighting stop, at 9 percent, compared to 48 percent who say they want the U.S. to continue its military action against the Iranian regime. Around 20 percent of GOP respondents supported a pause in the fighting to allow for negotiations, the numbers reveal.

Democrats mostly want to see either a pause in the fighting to make room for peace talks or a full end to hostilities, at 39 percent each. Four percent say they want the military campaign to carry on.

Trump’s overall approval rating is at 33 percent, just under where he was at this point in his first term and around when inflation peaked during former President Biden’s term.

The conflict has been a primary driver for rising affordability concerns, including energy prices. Seventy-two percent of respondents say it is “extremely” or “very” important to keep oil and gas prices down. About 4 in 10 respondents say they are “extremely” or “very” concerned about being able to afford gas in the coming months.

The poll also found that 70 percent of respondents say the U.S. should prioritize negotiating a permanent ceasefire with Iran, with 64 percent saying the Trump administration should focus on preventing Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

Polling was conducted during the recent pause in fighting between the U.S. and Iran following a nearly two-week-long tit-for-tat between both countries. U.S. strikes resumed late Wednesday night in retaliation for an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps attack on an American base in Jordan.

The AP-NORC survey was conducted July 23-27 and included 1,165 respondents. The margin of error is 3.7 percentage points.