Polls: Americans oppose U.S. bombing of Iran

One survey found only 16% of adults, and 19% of Trump voters, support the U.S. bombing Iran. 60% oppose.

On Saturday night, June 21, 2025, President Donald Trump posted on his social media website that the United States military bombed three locations in Iran that their scientists have allegedly been using to develop a nuclear weapon.

In the immediate aftermath of this bombing, it is worth saying one thing very clearly: The American people do not support U.S. military intervention in Iran. At least, not right now.

In this quick post, I will go over the recent polling data on the U.S. bombing Iran. Then I will compare current support for intervention in Iran to historical interventions in the Middle East, and finally explain why it's important to take stock of public opinion on Iran more broadly — and keep in mind that things can change quickly.

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Major pollsters have published just two surveys about the U.S. bombing Iran. Both of the polls below were taken before the bombing on June 21 — the latest data were gathered on June 18. Here are the two polls:

1. YouGov: 16% support U.S. "getting involved" in conflict

This poll was conducted June 13–18 for The Economist. Link

YouGov asked 1,500 Americans the following question:

Do you think the U.S. military should get involved in the conflict between Israel and Iran?

In response, 16% of Americans said yes, 60% said no, and 24% said they were unsure. Notably, just 19% of respondents who said they voted for Donald Trump in 2024 wanted the U.S. to get involved, with 53% opposed. All self-identified Republicans were opposed 53% to 22%.

Additionally, just 24% of Americans said they believed Iran posed an immediate and serious threat to the U.S.

2. Washington Post: 25% support "launching airstrikes against Iran"

In a quick-turnaround poll fielded on Wednesday, June 18, The Washington Post found modestly higher support than YouGov did for the U.S. military bombing Iran. That's a slightly different question than getting "involved" in the conflict with Israel. In the WaPo poll, 25% of adults supported "the U.S. military launching airstrikes against Iran over its nuclear program”.

In the Washington Post/SSRS poll, 45% were opposed.

The Post poll also found that 82% of Americans were either “somewhat” or “very” concerned about getting involved in a full-scale war with Iran.

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Support for bombing Iran is lower than for previous interventions in the Middle East

As a point of comparison, here is how support for bombing Iran across these two polls compares to support for intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan, and against ISIS:

You can see that polls from before each action show the public is considerably more opposed to bombing in Iran than these historical interventions.

Why polls on the Iran bombing matter

It's worth looking at this data for two reasons.

First, because what people want matters (or should matter) in a democracy; the military belongs to the people, not the president.

And public opinion can have a real impact on policy decisions, too. For instance, during the Vietnam War, growing public opposition played a significant role in shaping congressional action and ultimately influenced presidential decisions to de-escalate and withdraw U.S. forces. More recently, public opinion against the invasion of Iraq was a key part of Barack Obama's 2008 campaign for president, and a reason Trump initiated the pullout from Afghanistan, which was completed under Joe Biden's presidency in 2021.

As the situation with Iran develops, shifts in public sentiment could affect how Congress responds and how the president frames future actions. And since foreign policy is one of Trump's worst issues, taking such an unpopular action could prompt him to change course quickly.

Second, it is important to benchmark where the public is today because opinion on military action can change very rapidly in response to new events, media coverage, and government messaging.

For example, support for the 2003 invasion of Iraq initially spiked just after U.S. troops were mobilized, then fell steadily over the next five years. Similarly, public opinion on the war in Afghanistan fluctuated over time as events unfolded. This means that while Americans are currently wary of involvement in Iran, attitudes could shift quickly in the days and weeks ahead.

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It is still very early after the strike, and public opinion on action in Iran will change as a result of the U.S. bombings. In particular, we should expect Republicans to become more supportive of intervention since partisans tend to follow their leaders.

But for now, the data clearly show that Americans — across party lines — are very wary of another war in the Middle East and disapprove of the U.S. bombing Iran. These recent polls reveal a broad reluctance for military action, even among Trump voters.