Iran war and rising gas prices fuel economic concerns; the majority says that the conflict is not going well, don

When measuring a warAmericans consider at least two things important: what the goals are abroad and their impact at home.

Right now, Americans want many things to happen in Iran: most feel it is important to stop their nuclear programensure that the Iranian people are free and, now that the conflict is underway, that it would be unacceptable to abandon the iranian regime in power at the end of it.

But it is also important to end the conflict as quickly as possible, they say, in the face of growing economic pressure at home.

Increase in gas prices are fueling some pessimism about the US economy in general, with concerns about negative impacts on it at least in the short term, if not the long term.

That uncertainty is underpinned by a growing number of people who feel the Trump administration hasn’t spelled things out. Most call it a war of choice, not necessity.

Overall, most Americans feel that the conflict is not going well at the moment, although it has the continued support of most of the president’s Republican base, in part because they express a lot of confidence in him personally.

Impact on gas prices and the economy

People consider that the war has an impact on the increase in gas prices, both in the short and long term.

Despite the administration’s calls for patience, people do not believe that war will improve the American economy. In fact, most believe this will weaken it, at least in the short term.

The feeling that the US is heading into a recession is returning abovewhile current opinions on the economy have receded below.

This is accompanied by a sharp increase in the percentage of people who have noticed the price increase.

In terms of possible patience or sacrifice, they do not believe that Americans should be willing to pay more for gas during the conflict.

Evaluating the war

Most Americans do not believe the conflict with Iran is going well so far. It is predominantly those who do not approve of the conflict who hold this opinion. .

People who think it’s not going well express a collective uncertainty: they don’t feel like they’ve received an explanation from the Trump administration. Many are not sure how long it will last. They see no benefits, either in making America safer or in strengthening the economy.

And now what? How might people evaluate things in the future?

Of a list of potential U.S. objectives, the most important for Americans is simply to see the war over as quickly as possible.

But there are also other important goals for most Americans, including ensuring that the people of Iran are free and stopping Iran’s nuclear programs.

And it would be unacceptable for most to end the regime still in power.

If those desires between goals and a quick end seem contradictory, it connects to the continued call for more explanations from the administration.

Even fewer today than when the war began say the administration has clearly explained America’s objectives.

Just under half believe US ground troops will be necessary. Opinions are quite divided on the matter, whether one believes things are going well for the United States or not.

However, there is no perceived broader reward in terms of the nation’s security. Just over a third believe the conflict will make the United States safer even in the long term.

There is also a lot of uncertainty about how long this will last. Most think this will continue for months, if not years. Almost a third are unsure.

Disapproval of US military action in Iran has increased since the start of the war, and the longer the conflict is thought to last, the greater the disapproval.

What supports that is that Americans see this as a war of choice, not a war of necessity.

Support from the president’s base, but not so much beyond it

MAGA continues to support Trump and the war. They have confidence in himeven when they think it could last a long time, and overwhelmingly approve of how he’s handling the situation.

Contextually, this pattern of MAGA support is in line with what we’ve seen on other issues (on all issues, including military issues) over the years.

Opinions about Trump remain central to all of this. For most Americans, approval of the war and how it is going is closely tied to whether they have confidence in it or not.

MAGA Republicans also say Trump is doing what he promised in the 2024 campaign regarding Iran.

President Trump’s overall approval rating has remained virtually unchanged since before the conflict began. It has been at or around 40% for many months. He continues to have strong support from Republicans.

But on specific measures, including handling the economy and inflation, it scores relatively lower than overall. And he doesn’t do as well with Republicans on those issues as he does on immigration.

In short, those who approve of action against Iran are largely Republicans, who have confidence in it, who think that the conflict is strengthening the United States’ position in the world and that it reinforces US security. They see it as a war of necessity, not choice.

Those who disapprove of the measure tend to be many Democrats and independents with no partisan ties to the president, who believe it will make the United States less safe (both in the long and short term), and who think it will last for months, if not years, or who are unsure of its duration.

This News themezone/YouGov poll was conducted with a nationally representative sample of 3,335 American adults interviewed between March 17 and March 20, 2026. The sample was weighted to be representative of adults nationwide based on gender, age, race and education, based on the U.S. Census American Community Survey and Current Population Survey, as well as the 2024 presidential vote. The margin of error is ±2.1 points.