A new poll has revealed that the ongoing war in Iran is as unpopular among Americans as the Vietnam War was in the 1970s, indicating that President Donald Trump's efforts to frame the military operation positively have failed to resonate with the public. Approximately 61 percent of the 2,560 respondents surveyed by Ipsos, The Washington Post, and ABC News stated that the United States made a mistake in using military force against Iran. Only 36 percent considered it the right decision.
This level of disapproval mirrors historical sentiment: according to Gallup, in 1971, the same percentage of Americans believed sending troops to Vietnam was a mistake. Similarly, a Washington Post poll from 2006 found that 59 percent of people thought the U.S. erred in going to war with Iraq. Since the Iran conflict began in late February, Americans have expressed skepticism about the president's motivations in the Middle East and the feasibility of his objectives.
Declining Public Approval
Two months into the conflict, with over a dozen U.S. service members killed, rising gas prices, disrupted global oil supplies, and failed negotiations to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, public approval continues to erode. The Vietnam War, widely regarded as one of the most unpopular wars in history, was considered justified by only 29 percent of respondents in a 2025 Emerson College poll. The U.S. involvement in Vietnam lasted roughly eight years, sparking intense controversy and deep mistrust in the government.
Administration's Optimism vs. Reality
Despite the polling numbers and ongoing conflict, Trump and his administration maintain that the U.S. mission has been a resounding success, declaring that America has already won. Trump has claimed that U.S. strikes led to "a new, and more reasonable, regime," but reports indicate the opposite, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps becoming more aggressive and radicalized. Gas prices have surged across the country due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. While the U.S. has blockaded Iranian ports, Iran retaliated by closing the strait, which handles roughly 25 percent of the world's oil transport.
The administration insists that prices will drop once the war ends, but there is no clear timeline for its conclusion. During a House Armed Services Committee hearing this week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced accusations of being in a "quagmire"—a hazardous situation difficult to escape—which he vehemently denied. However, Americans remain skeptical about the war's winnability. A majority of poll respondents, 65 percent, expressed doubt that any agreement with Iran would prevent the regime from developing a nuclear weapon.
