US public support for Iran war falls as Trump approval at record low: Poll

Backing in the United States for the war on Iran has fallen as President Donald Trump's approval remains at a record low, a Reuters/Ipsos poll suggests.

Key points

• Just 31 percent of Americans surveyed remarked they backing US military action against Iran, down from 37 percent in March and 34 percent earlier this month.
• The Trump administration has additionally unveiled recent pledges to growth economic pressure on Iran.
• The war is additionally continuing to weigh on Trump's standing with the public, the poll suggests.
• Trump has defended the military campaign as necessary to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
• A growing majority of Americans expect the war to continue for some time, the poll suggests.

Public backing for the war has dropped to its lowest level since the early stages of the conflict, with declining Republican backing contributing to the shift, according to the poll issued on Monday.

Just 31 percent of Americans surveyed remarked they backing US military action against Iran, down from 37 percent in March and 34 percent earlier this month. Backing among Republican respondents fell to 69 percent, compared with 77 percent in March.

Meanwhile, the war is additionally continuing to weigh on Trump's standing with the public, the poll suggests. For the second consecutive Reuters/Ipsos survey, 33 percent of respondents remarked they approved of Trump's performance as president, matching the lowest approval rating recorded in the polling series throughout his first and second terms.

Trump has defended the military campaign as necessary to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. The conflict began on February 28 with US and Israeli attacks on Iran.

But the economic effects of the war remain a concern for Americans. Iran has maintained a de facto blockade of oil exports from the region, contributing to a rise in US petrol rates to near record highs.

For context, the Trump administration has additionally unveiled recent pledges to growth economic pressure on Iran. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent remarked on Monday that the US would target all of Iran's sources of revenue, including oil, with the aim of preventing other countries and businesses from doing business with Tehran. The campaign is dubbed "Operation Economic Outcast".

Notably, a growing majority of Americans expect the war to continue for some time, the poll suggests. Eighty-three percent of respondents remarked they believe the conflict will last for an extended period, up from 80 percent earlier this month.

In practice, the prospect of a lengthy war presents a challenge for Trump. This person campaigned for the presidency in 2024 on promises to bring down inflation and to adopt an "America First" strategy of avoiding foreign military engagements.

Six months into the conflict, petrol rates are more than $1 per gallon (3.8 litres) higher than they were before the war, adding to economic pressure ahead of November's midterm elections.

Meanwhile, the higher fuel costs could additionally create difficulties for Republicans defending narrow congressional majorities.

In practice, the poll suggests that independent voters favour Democrats over Republicans when asked which party they would backing in a congressional election held today. Among independents, 33 percent remarked they would vote for a Democrat, compared with 19 percent who stated they would choose a Republican.

Meanwhile, the Reuters/Ipsos survey questioned 1, 215 adults throughout the United States over four days and has a margin of error of 3 percentage points in either direction.

Taken together, the developments around US public support for Iran war falls as Trump approval at record point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.