Shibley Telhami Nonresident Senior Fellow – Foreign Policy, Center for Middle East Policy
June 4, 2026
Fewer than one in six Americans say the U.S. is winning the war
As the Iran war reaches a critical juncture, the Trump administration and Iran appear to prefer extending a precarious truce rather than resolving the issues that divide them. One reason may be the war’s persistent unpopularity. Public opinion polls have consistently shown public opposition to the war the United States and Israel initiated against Iran, making it unique among modern American wars, which often benefit from initial public support or at least a rally-around-the-flag effect.