WASHINGTON — A majority of Americans think recent U.S. military operations against Iran have been too aggressive, while growing numbers express concern about gas prices, a fresh AP-NORC survey reveals.
The poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research shows that as the conflict enters its fourth week, President Donald Trump’s approval ratings remain stable, though the ongoing military engagement may become a significant political challenge for his Republican administration.
With Trump sending additional naval vessels and military personnel to the Middle East, approximately 59% of Americans consider U.S. military operations in Iran to be excessive.
At the same time, 45% express being “extremely” or “very” worried about gas affordability in upcoming months, a notable increase from 30% in an AP-NORC survey taken shortly after Trump’s reelection victory, when he pledged to strengthen the economy and reduce living costs.
Americans do show substantial backing for one of the president’s stated goals: stopping Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Roughly two-thirds believe this should rank as an “extremely” or “very” crucial foreign policy priority for the United States. Yet they’re equally likely to consider preventing increases in domestic oil and gas prices as important — creating a challenging balance for the White House.
Approximately 4 out of 10 American adults continue backing Trump’s presidential performance, showing no change from the previous month. His foreign policy approval rating, though somewhat lower than his overall numbers, also remained largely unchanged.
Trump has provided unclear signals regarding his future Iran strategy. While making escalating threats, he’s simultaneously indicated that diplomatic negotiations might end the conflict. Americans generally remain skeptical about Trump’s capacity to make sound decisions regarding overseas military force deployment, and they largely reject more aggressive measures like sending ground troops.
Maintaining affordable fuel costs represents a rare objective that brings together Americans from both major parties.
Roughly three-quarters of Republicans and approximately two-thirds of Democrats consider preventing U.S. oil and gas price increases highly significant.
Nevertheless, current concerns aren’t equally distributed. Only about 3 out of 10 Republicans report being “extremely” or “very” anxious about gas affordability in coming months, while roughly 6 out of 10 Democrats share this worry.
Trump’s emphasis on Iran’s nuclear capabilities also resonates more strongly with Republicans than Democrats. While about two-thirds of Americans believe the U.S. should focus on preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, approximately 8 out of 10 Republicans consider this at least “very” significant, compared to roughly half of Democrats.
The conflict has intensified political discussions about Israel’s role in American foreign policy, particularly since Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly advocated for attacking Iran. Only about 4 out of 10 U.S. adults consider preventing Iranian threats to Israel a high priority.
Removing Iran’s current leadership ranks as slightly less significant. Only about 3 out of 10 say it’s at least “very” crucial for the U.S. to install an Iranian government more favorable to American interests.
While Trump sends conflicting signals about whether the Iran conflict will conclude soon, approximately 9 out of 10 Democrats and about 6 out of 10 independents believe the Iranian attacks have “gone too far.”
Republicans show more division. About half consider the U.S. military response “about right,” though relatively few want escalation. Only about 2 out of 10 Republicans believe the military action hasn’t been sufficient, while roughly one-quarter think it’s been excessive.
Previous AP-NORC surveys found that about 6 out of 10 Americans say Trump has “gone too far” across various issues, including his tariff policies and use of presidential authority. This figure, which broadly mirrors his overall approval, suggests that while Trump’s Iran actions are unpopular, they’re still comparable to other divisive presidential decisions.
Deeper U.S. involvement in the conflict could alter this dynamic, depending on future developments. About 6 out of 10 Americans “somewhat” or “strongly” reject deploying U.S. ground forces against Iran, including roughly 8 out of 10 Democrats and approximately half of Republicans. Just under half oppose airstrikes on Iranian leadership and military installations, while about 3 out of 10 support such actions and roughly 3 out of 10 remain undecided.
About half of U.S. adults have “only a little” confidence or “none at all” in Trump regarding overseas military force decisions, consistent with February AP-NORC polling.
About 34% of U.S. adults endorse Trump’s foreign policy management, similar to February’s 36%. This metric has remained steady despite numerous controversial actions, including disputes over Greenland and a Venezuela attack, that have sparked domestic and international criticism.
This closely matches Trump’s Iran-specific approval in the new survey, which found 35% of Americans view his handling of that situation positively.
The AP-NORC poll surveyed 1,150 adults from March 19-23 using NORC’s probability-based AmeriSpeak Panel, designed to represent the U.S. population. The sampling error margin for all adults is plus or minus 4 percentage points.
