By Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus
Updated: March 22, 2026 / 9:23 PM EDT / CBS News
Americans weigh both foreign objectives and domestic consequences when judging the U.S. campaign against Iran. A new CBS News/YouGov poll finds many want the United States to halt Iran’s nuclear program and support freedom for the Iranian people; a significant share also says it would be unacceptable to end the conflict with the current Iranian regime still in power. At the same time, most respondents say the priority should be to end the fighting as quickly as possible.
Rising gasoline prices are intensifying worries about the U.S. economy. More Americans report noticing higher prices at the pump, and a majority believes the conflict will weaken the economy in the near term. Expectations that the U.S. will enter a recession have increased, while public ratings of current economic conditions have fallen. Most do not think Americans should accept paying more for gas because of the war.
Assessing how the war is going
A plurality of Americans say the campaign in Iran is not going well. Those who disapprove commonly say the administration has not clearly communicated its goals, see few immediate benefits for U.S. safety or economic interests, and are uncertain about the conflict’s duration. When asked to choose among possible goals, the largest single priority is to bring the war to a swift close, though stopping Iran’s nuclear program and promoting Iranian freedom are also widely cited as important.
Most respondents say it would be unacceptable to conclude the conflict while leaving the Iranian leadership in power. Fewer than half believe the administration has clearly explained its objectives. Opinions are divided on whether U.S. ground forces will be necessary, and only about one-third expect the conflict to make the United States safer in the long run. Most people anticipate the war will last months or years, and nearly a third say they don’t know how long it will continue.
Disapproval of U.S. military action has increased since the conflict began, and the longer people expect the fighting to continue, the more likely they are to disapprove. Many view this as a war of choice rather than one of necessity.
Support concentrated in the president’s base
Backing for the campaign is strongest among Trump’s core supporters (often described as MAGA Republicans), who overwhelmingly approve of his handling of the situation and express high personal confidence in him. Approval of the military action and views about its progress are closely linked to respondents’ confidence in President Trump. Many in his base say he is delivering on promises related to Iran from 2024.
President Trump’s overall approval remains near 40%, roughly where it was before the conflict began. He retains robust support among Republicans but receives lower marks on his handling of the economy and inflation compared with other issues such as immigration. In short, those who approve of the action tend to be Republicans who trust the president and view the conflict as strengthening America’s position; those who disapprove are primarily Democrats and independents who believe it will make the country less safe and last longer.
Poll methodology
This CBS News/YouGov survey interviewed a nationally representative sample of 3,335 U.S. adults between March 17–20, 2026. The sample was weighted to reflect the U.S. adult population by gender, age, race, education and 2024 presidential vote. The margin of sampling error is ±2.1 percentage points.