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Poll: Half Say Iran War Destabilizes, Majority Deem Costly

8/7/2026

26 2 Full Breakdown

Summary

Story summary

A Reuters/Ipsos poll shows 50% expect the war with Iran to destabilize, 17% expect more stability, and 35% approve the war.
Among Republicans, 80% approve U.S. President Donald Trump, 66% back his Iran handling, and 41% think the war will improve stability.
A Marquette poll August 5 found the war has cost $37.5 billion, killed 18 U.S. service members, and 88% say objectives are unmet and 75% deem it not worth cost.

History

Historical Context

During the January-31, 1968 Tet Offensive, about 77,000 North Vietnamese and Viet Cong troops struck over 100 South Vietnamese towns, shocking a U.S. public already skeptical of victory. The backlash forced the Johnson administration to seek negotiations and curtail bombing, establishing a precedent that costly, protracted wars erode domestic support—a lesson echoed in today’s Reuters/Ipsos poll on the Iran conflict.

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Story summary

A Reuters/Ipsos poll shows 50% expect the war with Iran to destabilize, 17% expect more stability, and 35% approve the war.
Among Republicans, 80% approve U.S. President Donald Trump, 66% back his Iran handling, and 41% think the war will improve stability.
A Marquette poll August 5 found the war has cost $37.5 billion, killed 18 U.S. service members, and 88% say objectives are unmet and 75% deem it not worth cost.

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