A review of publicly available US polling during the first phase of the Iran War from March-April 2026 finds no rally-round-the-flag effect that reached majority levels. In this CISSM policy brief, the authors find that initial support approached 50 percent in some polls and declined after the first week. Public rejection of the war went well beyond a reaction to rising gas prices. Majorities said that (1) the diplomatic path had not been exhausted before the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28; (2) the war was not going well militarily and would drag on for months; and (3) there was little to no advance planning for the likelihood that Iran would close the Strait of Hormuz. Majorities expected full negotiations to be lengthy, and said that in the meantime, any reasonable deal that stopped hostilities and reopened the Strait would be worth taking.
School Authors: Samuel M. Hickey