Gasoline prices soar as Strait of Hormuz closes due to Iran war
Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz is raising gasoline prices, threatening oil supplies and raising concerns about the impact on the global economy.
- A majority of Americans oppose U.S. military action in Iran and disapprove of the president’s handling of the conflict, according to a new poll.
- Support for military action is divided sharply along party lines, with most Republicans in favor and most Democrats opposed.
- The poll also revealed differences in opinion based on age, race, and education, with younger Americans most likely to oppose the action.
Majority of Americans say they oppose US military action in Iran and President Donald Trump’s A new NPR/PBS News/Marist poll finds people responding to a war that lasted seven days.
According to public opinion polls, 56% of Americans oppose US operations in Iran, while 44% approve. Furthermore, 36% of Americans surveyed said they approve of the president’s handling of Iran. Fifty-five percent of respondents believe Iran is a minor or no threat to the United States.
The joint poll, released March 6, surveyed 1,591 Americans from March 2 to March 4, just days after the United States and Israel began bombing Iran in the early hours of February 28, killing the country’s supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei. The coordinated attacks also killed dozens of Iranian government officials and hit more than 1,250 targets in the country.
President Trump said the strike was aimed at eliminating an “immediate threat” from Iran and preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Congressional Democrats question whether Iran poses an imminent threat and worry the conflict could escalate into a regional war. Meanwhile, the majority of Republican leaders strongly support President Trump and his administration’s military action.
Of those surveyed in the PBS News/NPR/Marist poll, 44% said they view Iran as a major threat. Additionally, 40% see Iran as a minor threat to U.S. national security, and 15% see Iran as no threat at all.
Meanwhile, the majority of Republican leaders strongly support President Trump and his administration’s military action.
The poll is the latest in a series of studies showing that President Trump’s war with Iran is faring poorly in the polls, driving up gas prices and forcing uncertainty into the stock market, which the administration has repeatedly cited as a bright spot in a shaky economy.
More than 1,000 civilians have been killed in the conflict, including an estimated 175 students and staff at a girls’ school in Minab, Iran. According to Reuters and the Associated Press, a preliminary investigation by the U.S. military concluded that a U.S. airstrike was the cause.
Opinion poll finds US troops in Iran divided along partisan lines
As Operation Epic Fury enters its second week, opinion polls show that the US presence is divided sharply along partisan lines.
An overwhelming majority of Republicans approve of both President Trump’s approach (79%) and the attack overall (84%), similar to the nearly unanimous response among Republican leaders in Congress. This week, Republican majorities in both chambers of Congress (with some Democratic support) refused to pass a war powers resolution that would withdraw U.S. troops from the Middle East.
Meanwhile, 86% of Democrats surveyed oppose both President Trump’s approach and aggression and war. Among independent voters, 61% disapprove of President Trump’s handling of the current situation and oppose military action.
Opposition to US actions in Iran varies by group
The PBS News/NPR/Marist poll shows that in addition to political affiliation, other demographic factors, including respondents’ age, race, and education, influence opinions about U.S. military action in Iran.
Young people aged 18 to 29 were the most likely to oppose military action (64%).
Young people surveyed, who are also registered voters, have the least support for President Trump on his handling of Iran. This includes 25% of respondents aged 18-29, 35% of respondents aged 30-44, and 41% of respondents aged 45 and older.
The poll found that whites without a college degree were slightly more in favor of military action (53% in favor, 46% opposed). Whites with a college degree were more likely to oppose military action (61%), while whites with a college degree supported military action (38%).
Polls show that men are more likely than women to support U.S. military action. According to the opinion poll, men were almost evenly divided in their opinions (48% in favor, 52% opposed), but more women were opposed (41% in favor, 59% opposed).
The poll also found that blacks (68%) and Latinos (60%) are more likely than whites (52%) to oppose military action.
The joint poll was conducted by phone, text message, and online among 1,591 U.S. adults. The margin of error is 2.8 percentage points.
