Support for the war on Iran has fallen to its lowest point since the conflict began, according to a new poll released Monday, Aug. 24, showing 31% of Americans approve of the U.S. military operation.
The latest Reuters/Ipsos finding is down from 37% in March after President Donald Trump launched the conflict against the Islamic republic, and down from 34% earlier in August. According to a Reuters analysis of the polling results, the decline is driven by more Republicans turning against the war.
White House officials dismissed the findings in a statement to USA TODAY.
"What matters most to the American people is having a Commander-in-Chief who takes decisive action to eliminate threats and keep them safe, which is exactly what President Trump is doing,"
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said in a statement.
Trump "campaigned proudly on his promise to deny the Iranian regime the ability to develop a nuclear weapon, and Americans are already safer because of his bold leadership," Ingle added.
The president has repeatedly criticized polls showing falling approval ratings. A YouGov/Economist projection last week found the president’s approval rating is negative in every state but Idaho, West Virginia and Wyoming.
"The Radical Left Democrats are going CRAZY with Fake Polls. They’re putting them out at levels never seen before," Trump said in an Aug. 24 Truth Social post.
The latest polling comes as both Iran and the United States show little sign of coming to an agreement to end the fighting.
Trump administration officials say they are transitioning to an "economic onslaught" approach, instead of a military campaign. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the United States will tighten sanctions on Iran, aiming to cut off revenue sources.
But American troops remain stationed in the Middle East as Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth travels around the country urging American arms manufacturers to make weapons faster.
On Aug. 24, Hegseth told arms workers in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, that he wanted them to ramp up production "to a wartime footing and build for victory."
The Reuters poll was conducted among 1,215 U.S. adults nationwide and had a margin of error of +/- 3 percentage points.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Approval for Iran war reaches new low, poll finds
