Six Months into the War with Iran, Opposition Hits a New High

National Surveys

Six Months into the War with Iran, Opposition Hits a New High

September 2, 2026

Julie Alderman Boudreau

This Navigator Research report covers the war with Iran and national security.

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Big Takeaways:

Six months after the U.S. began military operations against Iran, opposition to the war has hit a new high.

Democrats hold a slight trust advantage on the war with Iran over President Trump and Republicans, a shift from March.

Twenty-five years after the attacks on September 11, 2001, Americans are split on whether or not military interventions in the Middle East made the U.S. safer.

The War with Iran Continues to Break Through as Opposition Hits a New High

Six months in, news about the ongoing conflict with Iran is breaking through to more than three-quarters of Americans (77%, including 66% of passive news consumers). More than half (54%) oppose military actions against Iran, a new high in Navigator’s tracking. Opposition is especially high among independents (66% oppose). Net support for the war is at -15 (39% support – 54% oppose), the lowest it has been in Navigator tracking.

Similarly, 58% of Americans overall say the war in Iran has not been worth it, including 41% who strongly feel it has not been worth it. This is an eight point increase from April when 50% said the conflict was not worth it and 40% said it was. Now, only 34% say the war has been worth it, a six-point drop.

Democrats Hold a Small Trust Advantage Over Republicans on the Iran War

Democrats now hold a four-point trust advantage over President Trump and Republicans on the conflict with Iran (36% trust Democrats – 32% trust Republicans). In March, right after the conflict started, Trump and Republicans held an eight-point trust advantage on the issue (31% trust Democrats – 39% trust Republicans). However, nearly a third say they don’t trust either party on this issue (25%, including 55% of independents).

Americans Want President Trump and Republicans in Congress to Focus on the Cost of Living, But See Them Prioritizing Foreign Conflicts

Consistent with previous Navigator tracking, while Americans want leaders in Washington to focus on inflation and the cost of living (60%) along with jobs and the economy (46%), half (50%) see President Trump and Republicans in Congress most focused on foreign conflicts.

Americans Are Split on Whether War in the Middle East After 9/11 Made The U.S. Safer

Looking back now at 25 years since September 11, 2001, 45% of Americans agree that military interventions in the Middle East after the terrorist attacks did not make us safer, compared to two-in-five (40%) who say that the wars helped make the country safer.

There are some distinct generational differences: 51% of millennials (born between 1981 and 1997) say the interventions were not worth it compared to just 38% of Gen Z (both between 1998 and 2008). For comparison, a plurality (46%) of Gen X (born between 1965 and 1984) say the interventions did not make the U.S. safer while 43% of baby boomers (born between 1946 and 1964) say the interventions made the U.S. safer.
Members of the military and those in a military household are more likely than civilians to say the interventions were worth it (47% – 38%).
Those who regret their 2024 vote for President Trump are especially pessimistic on the success of post-9/11 U.S. interventions with 57% saying military interventions in the Middle East did not make America safer.

The Economy and Iran War Drive Trump 2024 Regret

Among those who regret voting for Trump in 2024 (18%), the two most cited reasons were the war with Iran and Trump’s foreign policy decisions (45%) as well as prices and the cost of living (43%). Similarly, when these Trump regretters were asked in an open-ended question what made you first begin to have doubts about their vote for Trump, two of the most popular words used were “prices” and “war.”

Follow Navigator for the latest news on Trump regret, coming later this week.

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About The Study

Global Strategy Group conducted a public opinion survey among a sample of 1,000 registered voters from August 21-August 24, 2026. 100 additional interviews were conducted among Hispanic voters. 100 additional interviews were conducted among African American voters. 75 additional interviews were conducted among Asian American and Pacific Islander voters. 100 additional interviews were conducted among independent voters. 230 additional interviews were conducted among regretful Trump voters. The survey was conducted online, recruiting respondents from an opt-in online panel vendor. Respondents were verified against a voter file and special care was taken to ensure the demographic composition of our sample matched that of the national registered voter population across a variety of demographic variables. The margin of error for the full sample at the 95 percent level of confidence is +/- 3.1 percentage points. The margin of error for subgroups varies and is higher.