Poll: Only One-Third of Americans Support War with Iran; Trump Hosts Netanyahu and Zelenskyy
As the war enters its fifth month, dissatisfaction in the U.S. grows over human and economic costs, while the Israeli premier lobbies for escalation.
As the war enters its fifth month, dissatisfaction in the U.S. grows over human and economic costs, while the Israeli premier lobbies for escalation.
On Tuesday, July 28, 2026, U.S. President Donald Trump welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, as the wars in Iran and Ukraine enter critical phases. The same day, a Reuters/Ipsos poll shows that only one in three Americans supports the war against Iran, which began on February 28, 2026, and has been draining U.S. resources and voter patience for five months.
According to the Reuters/Ipsos poll, conducted from Friday to Sunday among 1,246 American adults, 69 percent of respondents believe Trump has not clearly explained the goals of the military engagement in Iran-including four out of ten Republicans. Support for the war has dropped from 37 percent in March to roughly one-third in July, while fuel prices have risen from about three to four dollars per gallon (3.8 liters). Eighteen U.S. soldiers have been killed in the conflict.
Voters on the ground feel it. "Personally, I don't think he's doing well," retired turbine repair specialist Alex Womack, a Republican from Stockbridge, Georgia, told Reuters. Independent voter Rhyan Anderson from Fairburn, who voted for Trump in 2024, added: "What matters most to me is that he focuses on the people actually in the country. I know we have allies and all, but there are a lot of people here who really need help."
The Israeli premier arrives in Washington for his seventh visit since Trump took office, and the meeting was only confirmed just before the funeral of Senator Lindsey Graham. Some Republicans, especially the "America First" wing, fear that Netanyahu will seize the opportunity to push for escalation.
Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon told Politico EU: "I think all of Trump's most fervent supporters who aren't 'Israel First' are furious. Netanyahu has had twice as many White House visits in 18 months as Churchill had during the entire Second World War-and every single one has been a disaster for America First." The executive director of the American Conservative magazine, Curt Mills, described the atmosphere as "DEFCON 1," believing Netanyahu will advocate for "the fundamental logic of escalation."
Former National Security Council chief of staff Alex Gray said that "Netanyahu will push his agenda, which I don't think is necessarily compatible with our interests in this case," but he has no doubt Trump will stick with "America First." On the other hand, executive director of the Republican Jewish Coalition, Matt Brooks, stressed: "The one constant and the one area where there is no difference between the prime minister and the president is that Iran will under no circumstances have nuclear weapons."
After 13 consecutive days of U.S. strikes, Trump halted the bombing to give diplomacy a chance. At the same time, his administration increasingly relies on economic pressure-sanctions, financial restrictions, and a naval blockade. "The Iranians want to stop being bombed and they want money. But it's almost in reverse order. They really want money first," Axios quoted a senior administration official as saying. Another anonymous official added: "They fear the Treasury Department more than the War Department."
According to estimates, Iran earned $23 billion from oil in the first half of the year, but it faces gasoline shortages and pressure on banks. The Trump administration has sanctioned more than 1,000 individuals, ships, and aircraft as part of its "maximum pressure" campaign. Nevertheless, analyst Brett Erickson of Obsidian Risk Advisors called such an approach laughable and doubts that new sanctions will achieve the desired effect.
Trump claims Iran has requested talks on a possible deal, but Tehran publicly denies that it has sought direct negotiations with Washington, stating that mediators can convey messages but formal talks were not requested. Oman, Qatar, and Pakistan are mentioned as mediators. Meanwhile, U.S.-Iranian strikes were halted over the weekend, and Trump says: "I have a lot of patience."
Republican strategist Alex Conant warns that the war is putting pressure on the party "in countless ways, all of them negative" and that "it's hard to win economic debates when you're clearly focused on foreign policy." Trump's approval rating rose by three points to 37 percent, but the poll, with a three-percentage-point margin of error, signals shifting voter sentiment ahead of the November elections.
