Americans want a fast end to the Iran war but are increasingly likely not to expect one

The latest Economist / YouGov poll finds that majorities of Americans believe the war with Iran was a mistake and want a quick deal to end it. An increasing share expect the war will last at least another year.

Americans are only slightly more likely to think the U.S. is winning the war than to think Iran is (27% vs. 23%); around one-third (35%) say neither country is currently ahead. Republicans are far more likely than Democrats to think the U.S. is winning (54% vs. 9%) and less likely to say the war is being won by Iran (4% vs. 34%) or neither country (25% vs. 43%).

Half (50%) of Americans think the war with Iran will last another year or more, a new high since we began asking in early March, when only 32% expected the war to last a year or more. Growing shares of Democrats, Independents, and Republicans expect the war to last another year or more. The increase among Independents has been largest and they are now slightly more likely than Democrats to expect the war to last that long (61% vs. 57%).

More than twice as many Americans say that going to war with Iran was the wrong decision as say it was the right decision (57% vs. 25%). Democrats are about four times likelier than Republicans to say going to war with Iran was the wrong decision (85% vs. 22%). The share of Americans saying the war was the wrong decision has risen 6 points since mid-April, from 51%.

65% think we should make a deal to end the war in Iran as quickly as possible; only 15% say we shouldn't. The vast majority (83%) of Democrats want a deal to end the war quickly, as do about half (48%) of Republicans. Support for a quick deal has changed little over the past four months, falling only 5 points since mid-April, from 70%.

44% of Americans would strongly or somewhat support the U.S. providing military aid to Iranians attempting to overthrow the Iranian government, and only 29% would oppose it. Far more Republicans support than oppose arming Iranian insurgents (65% vs. 18%). Democrats are more likely to oppose than support doing so, by a margin of 39% vs. 28%.

Only about one-quarter (23%) of Americans say that if the U.S. defeats Iran we should take its oil; 53% say we should not. 10% of Democrats, 19% of Independents, and 42% of Republicans want the U.S. to take Iran's oil if the U.S. wins the war.

Image: Getty (John Moore / Staff)

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