March 2, 2026 at 11:35 a.m. ESTJust now
How many Americans support the airstrikes against Iran that President Donald Trump ordered this weekend? Do they think the strikes should continue? How concerned are they about a full-scale war with Iran? The Washington Post texted 1,003 Americans on Sunday to ask.
More Americans oppose the strikes than support them, the flash poll found. Perceptions of Trump’s goals vary widely, though a clear majority say his administration has not clearly explained them. Still, about half think the U.S. military’s actions will contribute to long-term U.S. security.
The survey was conducted Sunday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Eastern, coinciding with reports that three American soldiers were killed and five others were seriously wounded.
Participants’ answers have been lightly edited for clarity and style.
Do you support or oppose President Donald Trump ordering airstrikes against Iran this weekend?
Americans oppose Trump ordering airstrikes on Iran by 52 percent to 39 percent; 9 percent say they are unsure. Opponents are more passionate, with about 4 in 10 strongly opposing the strikes, whereas just over 2 in 10 strongly support them.
U.S. overall
In the "undefined" group, 39 percent of people responded with "Support."
9
In the "undefined" group, 9 percent of people responded with "Unsure."
52
In the "undefined" group, 52 percent of people responded with "Oppose."
Republicans
81
In the "undefined" group, 81 percent of people responded with "Support."
7
In the "undefined" group, 7 percent of people responded with "Unsure."
12
In the "undefined" group, 12 percent of people responded with "Oppose."
Democrats
9
In the "undefined" group, 9 percent of people responded with "Support."
4
In the "undefined" group, 4 percent of people responded with "Unsure."
87
In the "undefined" group, 87 percent of people responded with "Oppose."
Independents/Other
28
In the "undefined" group, 28 percent of people responded with "Support."
14
In the "undefined" group, 14 percent of people responded with "Unsure."
59
In the "undefined" group, 59 percent of people responded with "Oppose."
The unpopularity of strikes is driven by political independents, who oppose them by about 2 to 1, 59 percent to 28 percent. Partisans line up predictably, with about 8 in 10 Republicans supporting the strikes and nearly 9 in 10 Democrats opposing them.
The poll finds sharp differences by gender and age. Men are roughly split over the strikes, while women oppose them by a 26-point margin (58 percent to 32 percent). And while more than 6 in 10 adults younger than 40 oppose the strikes, most people ages 50-64 support them. People 65 or older are divided.
It’s not our problem.
Texas woman, 43, independent
To give the Iranian people a chance for a free country and to stop nuclear weapons to be used against us and Israel.
Michigan woman, 76, Republican
Congressional approval was needed and the president didn’t seek or receive it. We have been launched into a war.
Arizona man, 34, Democrat
Because he is protecting U.S. interests and destabilizing a dangerous regime that has openly said it wants to destroy America.
Illinois man, 61, Republican
He ran on a platform of stopping war, and has not only failed to do so, but has carried out acts of war.
New York woman, 54, independent
Many who support strikes cited a desire to stop Iran’s nuclear program, opposition to the country’s regime, support for the Iranian people, or trust in Trump’s leadership. Opponents focused on the lack of congressional approval for the actions, said it was an unnecessary escalation or expressed moral opposition to war.
Do you think the U.S. should continue military strikes against Iran, or should it stop military strikes at this time?
Nearly twice as many Americans say the U.S. should stop strikes on Iran rather than continue them, though nearly 3 in 10 say are unsure.
U.S. overall
In the "undefined" group, 25 percent of people responded with "Continue strikes."
28
In the "undefined" group, 28 percent of people responded with "Unsure."
47
In the "undefined" group, 47 percent of people responded with "Stop strikes."
Republicans
54
In the "undefined" group, 54 percent of people responded with "Continue strikes."
29
In the "undefined" group, 29 percent of people responded with "Unsure."
16
In the "undefined" group, 16 percent of people responded with "Stop strikes."
Democrats
4
In the "undefined" group, 4 percent of people responded with "Continue strikes."
19
In the "undefined" group, 19 percent of people responded with "Unsure."
76
In the "undefined" group, 76 percent of people responded with "Stop strikes."
Independents/Other
16
In the "undefined" group, 16 percent of people responded with "Continue strikes."
34
In the "undefined" group, 34 percent of people responded with "Unsure."
51
In the "undefined" group, 51 percent of people responded with "Stop strikes."
A narrow 54 percent majority of Republicans say the United States should continue strikes against Iran, far lower than the 81 percent who support Trump’s initial order. Fewer than 2 in 10 independents support continuing strikes, while about half say they should stop and roughly one-third are unsure.
What do you think is the Trump administration’s main goal of U.S. military action in Iran?
Help Iranians/stabilize region
Distract from Epstein/other issues
Protecting U.S. and allies
Open-ended question, responses grouped into categories. 17 percent mentioned other reasons.
The poll asked Americans to describe the Trump administration’s main goal of U.S. military action in Iran in their own words. Perceptions range widely, with some saying Trump’s goal was to demonstrate U.S. power, while others focused on regime change; helping Iranians; stopping Iran’s nuclear program; or American interests in money and oil. Others said they are unsure about the administration’s goals.
We needed to show them we are not fooling around, we mean business.
New Jersey woman, 63, Republican
I have no idea.
Ohio woman, 54, Democrat
Oil and the Strait of Hormuz for money and power.
Indiana woman, 27, independent
Destruction of Iran’s missile and nuclear programs and giving the Iranian people a chance to take back their nation.
California man, 61, Republican
In a separate yes-no question, two-thirds say the Trump administration has not clearly explained the goals of military action against Iran, almost identical to 68 percent who said this in a CBS News-YouGov poll before the strikes. While 2 in 3 Republicans now say Trump has been clear about why he is taking military action, 1 in 3 say he has not.
With the death of Iranian leader Ayatollah Khamenei, do you think the Trump administration has achieved its goals, or not?
About 3 in 10 U.S. adults say that the Trump administration has achieved its goals after the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, while nearly 7 in 10 say it has not. Nearly half of Republicans (48 percent) say Trump’s goals have been achieved with Khamenei’s death, dropping to 24 percent of Democrats and 23 percent of independents
How concerned, if at all, are you about the possibility of the U.S. getting involved in a full-scale war with Iran?
Three-quarters of Americans are concerned about the possibility of a full-scale war with Iran, including 40 percent who are “very concerned.” Those worries are similar to a Post poll after the U.S. and Israel struck Iran’s nuclear facilities in June. Today, about half of Republicans (51 percent) say they are at least somewhat concerned about a full-scale war, rising to 80 percent of independents and 93 percent of Democrats.
Do you think U.S. military actions will or will not contribute to the long-term security of the United States?
Americans split nearly down the middle on whether U.S. military actions will or will not contribute to long-term security of the United States, a divide that still marks the most upbeat assessment of the conflict in the poll. By comparison, majorities thought the Iraq and Afghanistan wars had contributed to long-term security at early points early in those campaigns, with optimism falling over time.
About one-quarter of Democrats predict U.S. security will be improved, 24 percent, along with 41 percent of independents and 83 percent of Republicans.
The poll finds Americans are closely divided on how U.S. military actions will affect the Iranian people: 34 percent say they will benefit, 30 percent say they will be harmed, and 36 percent are unsure.
About this story
This Washington Post poll was conducted by text message on March 1, among a random national sample of 1,003 U.S. adults from the SSRS Opinion Panel, an ongoing survey panel recruited through random sampling of U.S. households. The sample was weighted to match U.S. population demographics, partisanship and 2024 vote choice. Overall results have a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.
Open-ended responses were combined and coded by BTInsights, an AI open-end coding software that sorted responses into similar categories. Each response was then reviewed by a Post polling team member to ensure it was accurately categorized, if necessary, recategorized. Category names were also edited after a review of all codes within each group.
Analysis by Scott Clement and Isabelle Gibson. Development by Irfan Uraizee and Eric Lau. Design by Shikha Subramaniam. Editing by Maureen Linke and Noah Bierman. Copy editing by Emily Morman.
English (US) · 