Is U.S. winning Iran war? New poll shows three-quarters of American voters think so

An overwhelming majority of American voters believe the U.S. is winning the war with Iran, according to a new monthly survey conducted by the Harvard Center for American Political Studies and the Harris Poll.

The poll, which was conducted from April 23-26 and surveyed American voters on a number of key issues, is significant given the patently negative coverage of the war by the mainstream media, and real impacts to Americans' lives such as surging gas prices. In addition, the perception that the U.S. is winning cuts across all political stripes.

Overall, 74% of Americans believe the U.S. is winning the war in Iran, which actually slightly lower than the Harvard CAPS / Harris Poll from March, when 76% of Americans responded that the U.S. is winning. Breaking down the numbers by political party affiliation, 60% of Democrats polled responded that they believe the U.S. is winning, while 91% of Republicans believe the U.S. is winning the conflict. The sentiment was strong among independents as well, 70% of whom said they think the U.S. is prevailing over Iran.

The poll found broad support for the temporary ceasefire, with 79% of those surveyed saying Trump was right to agree to the ceasefire. Although military fighting has been paused for several weeks, the war, which began on Fe. 28, is now in its tenth week. Moreover, 63% of voters believe Trump should continue the blockade if Iran refuses to discontinue its nuclear program. The poll also showed high interest in the war, with 72% of respondents saying they are closely following the conflict. 

It's also worth noting that the poll questions were finalized just before the latest attempt on Trump's life at the White House Correspondents' Dinner on April 25, and much of the questioning of respondents was completed prior to that assassination attempt. "The president is winning wider acceptance of his Iran plans,” Mark Penn, co-director of the Harvard CAPS / Harris poll said in a statement. “They want him to hold fast on the terms for any peace deals.”

To read the complete poll, click here and to view the specific question on whether the U.S. is winning the war in Iran, scroll to page 48.