FILE-Demonstrators hold signs against the war Iran during an International Women's Day march against fascism at Boston Common park in Boston, Massachusetts on March 8, 2026. (Photo by Joseph Prezioso / AFP via Getty Images)
As the Iran war continues, some Americans don’t see the conflict as a benefit to the nation’s interests, while a small fraction of people view it favorably.
The Brookings Institute, citing data from a University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll—fielded by Ipsos among 1,377 American adults, May 15–21, 2026—found that Americans were divided on the Iran war’s impact on United States interests.
Some Americans view Iran war "more positively than negatively"
Dig deeper:
Brookings noted in the poll differences of opinion about the Iran war’s impact on the country’s interests among Americans and political parties.
When respondents in the poll were asked what the overall impact of the Iran war on U.S. interests been, at home and abroad, 12% of Americans say the conflict has been "more positive than negative."
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Approximately 84% of Democrats and 63% of independents admitted that the Iran war’s effects have been more negative than positive, while 33% view it as more negative (33%) compared to members of the GOP (25%) who view it as positive.
Meanwhile, the majority of Americans under 35 years old (55%) and those 35 years or older (57%) think that the impact of the Iran war has been more negative than positive.
Less than half of Americans don’t think the U.S. or Iran is winning the war
Big picture view:
According to the poll, around 38% of respondents shared that neither Iran nor the United States has won or is winning the ongoing conflict and this sentiment was also expressed by Democrats (56%), Republicans (24%), and independents (42%).
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However, some Republicans (39%) said that the U.S. has won or is winning the Iran war, compared to 1% of Democrats and 12% of independents, while another 25% of respondents said they didn’t know who was winning the conflict and 13% who said it was too early to tell.
Furthermore, 11% of younger Americans said that the U.S. has won the war or is winning compared to respondents 35 years old or over (18%), while a larger group of younger Americans (33%) admitted that they don’t compared to 21% of people 35 years old and over.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by The Brookings Institution, which references data from a University of Maryland Critical Issues Poll. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.