More Americans disapprove than approve of U.S. strikes against Iran
Washington, D.C., March 1, 2026 – A new Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted February 28 – March 1, finds that 43% of Americans disapprove of U.S. military strikes against Iran, while 27% approve; about three-in-ten say they are unsure.
The poll captures initial public reactions to the strikes carried out by the U.S. and Israel that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and targeted military sites and nuclear facilities across the country.
Views of the U.S. military strikes authorized by President Trump divide along partisan lines. Nearly three-quarters of Democrats (74%) disapprove, compared with just 7% who approve. Among Republicans, a majority (55%) approve of the U.S. military strikes, while 13% disapprove; a sizeable share (31%) say they are not sure. Independents tilt against the action, with 44% disapproving and 19% approving.
The findings show the potential for public views to evolve as events in the region unfold. Nearly half say they would be more likely to support continued military action if it led to a government in Iran that is friendly to the U.S. or puts an end to the Iranian nuclear program.
The downside risks are also evident: 54% say they would be less likely to support U.S. military action if it leads to U.S. casualties. Many also indicate their support would decline if U.S. actions led to a broader conflict in the Middle East.
When it comes to President Trump’s willingness to use military force to advance U.S. interests, Americans are split on its impact on the country’s standing: 48% say it strengthens the country’s position in the world, and an equal share (48%) say it weakens the U.S. position.
About the Study
This Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted February 28 – March 1, 2026, by Ipsos for Reuters using the probability-based KnowledgePanel®. This poll is based on a nationally representative probability sample of 1,282 general population adults aged 18 or older.
The study was conducted in English. The data were weighted to adjust for gender by age, race and ethnicity, census region, metropolitan status, education, household income, 2024 vote choice and political party identification. Political party identification benchmarks are from the 2025 NPORS annual survey, with a midyear adjustment estimated across aggregated KnowledgePanel surveys accounting for changes in panelists’ party identification over time. The demographic benchmarks came from the 2025 March supplement of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS).
- Gender (Male, Female) by Age (18–29, 30–44, 45-59 and 60+)
- Race/Hispanic Ethnicity (White Non-Hispanic, Black Non-Hispanic, Other, Non-Hispanic, Hispanic, 2+ Races, Non-Hispanic)
- Education (Less than High School, High School, Some College, Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree or higher)
- Census Region (Northeast, Midwest, South, West)
- Metropolitan status (Metro, non-Metro)
- Household Income (Under $25,000, $25,000-$49,999, $50,000-$74,999, $75,000-$99,999, $100,000-$149,999, $150,000+)
- 2024 Vote Choice (Trump, Harris, Another candidate, Did not vote)
- Political Party ID (Democrat, Lean Democrat, Republican, Lean Republican, Independent/Something else)
The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2.8 percentage points at the 95% confidence level, for results based on the entire sample of adults. The margin of sampling error takes into account the design effect, which was 1.05. The margin of sampling error is higher and varies for results based on sub-samples. In our reporting of the findings, percentage points are rounded off to the nearest whole number. As a result, percentages in a given table column may total slightly higher or lower than 100%. In questions that permit multiple responses, columns may total substantially more than 100%, depending on the number of different responses offered by each respondent.
For more information on this news release, please contact:
Alec Tyson
Senior Vice President, US
Public Affairs
[email protected]
Annaleise Lohr
Vice President, US
Public Affairs
[email protected]
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