About half (52%) of Americans think the war in Iran will last at least another year, according to the latest Economist / YouGov Poll. 40% think it will last at least another month but less than a year, 6% more than a week but less than a month, and only 3% a week or less.
As the war has lasted longer, Americans' expectations for how much longer it will last have grown. That marks the largest share to expect the war to last another year or more in Economist / YouGov polling, up from 50% who said so in August, 46% in July, and 32% when the question was first asked in early March, soon after the war began. 69% of Democrats and 58% of Independents now expect the war to last another year or more, compared with 28% of Republicans. Republicans who say they are MAGA supporters are less likely to expect a long war: 22% expect the war to last another year or more, compared with 41% of non-MAGA Republicans.
A majority (57%) of Americans say that in hindsight going to war in Iran was the wrong decision, more than double the share who say it was the right decision (23%). That's roughly the share who have said it was wrong since July, and slightly higher than the 51% who said it was the wrong decision when we first asked in April. Democrats say the war was the wrong decision rather than the right one by 88% to 2%, and Independents by 62% to 12%. About half (53%) of Republicans say it was the right decision, down from 68% in April; 21% say it was the wrong decision, up from 12%. MAGA identity is linked to Republican views on the issue: 69% of MAGA Republicans say going to war was the right decision, compared with 30% of non-MAGA Republicans.
Most Americans (61%) say we should make a deal to end the Iran war as quickly as possible; 14% say we shouldn't. Support for ending the war as quickly as possible has fallen 9 percentage points since April, when 70% said we should end it quickly. Most of this shift has been among Republicans: 44% of Republicans now want a quick deal, down from 54% in April.
Few Americans believe Donald Trump has been an effective negotiator with Iran: 23% say he has been very or somewhat effective in negotiating with Iran, down from 29% in July; 61% now say he is very or somewhat ineffective. The drop in ratings of Trump's effectiveness as a negotiator is concentrated among Republicans: 52% now say he has been effective in negotiations with Iran, down from 67%.
Half (50%) of Americans would strongly or somewhat support impeaching Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for starting a war with Iran without authorization by Congress, and 30% would oppose it. Democrats support impeaching Hegseth by 77% to 14% and Independents by 50% to 22%. Republicans oppose impeaching Hegseth by 53% to 26%.
Image: Getty (Getty Images / Stringer)
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