A poll found a wide majority of U.S. voters believed the decision to launch military action against Iran was a mistake.
The Beacon Research and Shaw & Company Research poll for Fox News was conducted from June 12-15, meaning many were surveyed after the Memorandum of Understanding was announced on June 14, though the terms were unclear at the time. The results were bad news for the Trump administration, finding 58% of respondents believed it was a mistake to launch military action against Iran, compared to 41% who believed it was the right decision.
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Responses on the peace agreement were even more dire, with just 35% believing a peace deal would stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon, compared to 64% who believed it wouldn’t stop it. The provision of Iran pledging to never pursue or acquire a nuclear weapon has emerged as the primary selling point of the Trump administration’s MOU.
President Donald Trump’s conduct over the Iran war was further savaged, with 35% saying they approved of his handling of the issue and 64% disapproving. The result indicates Trump has critics on his handling of Iran from those supporting and opposing military action against the regime more generally.
A notable result from the poll was the priority of voters about Iran — 87%, the highest total on any question about Iran, said it was very or extremely important to avoid a prolonged military conflict with Iran. Relatedly, 70% said they were concerned very or extremely concerned the war would turn into a protracted military conflict.
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Concerns about the war turning into a prolonged conflict outpaced even concerns about Iran’s nuclear program; 76% said it was very or extremely important to prevent Tehran from getting a nuclear weapon.
The poll is the latest troubling result for the administration, which has struggled to justify its biggest foreign policy gamble yet, even among Trump’s base.
The war was originally portrayed as a rapid operation to decapitate and ultimately topple the Islamic regime using U.S. and Israeli air power. After the regime was able to rally and prove more resilient than expected, Trump began to shift priorities for the war to instead focus on neutering Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. The April ceasefire progressed into over two months of grinding negotiations with Tehran, which maintained its closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The prolonging of negotiations without a clear path to peace helped inflame domestic opposition.
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The announcement of the terms of the MOU on Wednesday has only further increased agitation about the war, being perceived by Trump’s critics, and even some allies, as a deal that cedes too much to Tehran without getting an adequate amount in return.
The poll surveyed 1,002 registered voters, with a margin of error of +/- 3%.