Most Americans Expect Prolonged Conflict with Iran

Most U.S. adults oppose the war with Iran and say the U.S. should make a deal to end the war as fast as possible. In a recent survey of 1,700 adults, conducted by the Economist and YouGov between April 17 and 20, only 12 percent said they thought that such a deal would be reached in the next two weeks.

As the following chart shows, roughly half (48 percent) of respondents thought that it was either very or somewhat unlikely that the U.S. would manage to strike a deal with Iran to end the war in the two-week timeframe. A further 41 percent said that there was a 50-50 chance of such an outcome.

This pattern held true for both Democrats and Republicans, albeit with a higher share of Democrats saying it was unlikely (61 percent compared to 31 percent of Republicans) that a deal would be reached to end the war in Iran. Where 31 percent of Democrats were unsure, saying that there was a 50-50 chance, 49 percent of Republicans took this view.

Seven in ten Americans said the U.S. should make a deal to end the war as quickly as possible, while two in ten said they were not sure and one in ten opposed the idea. However, when asked about the conditions for ending the war, Americans were more divided: 35 percent said the U.S. should make a deal even if Iran does not give up its enriched uranium, as 34 percent said it should not.