Watch CBS News In polling completed just before news of the U.S. airstrikes on Iran, most Americans thought the U.S. should be at least pressuring or engaging the Iranian leadership in some form. And in the days before the strikes began, there was movement toward approval of a U.S. military action specifically to stop them from making nuclear weapons; that change came after President Trump's State of the Union address earlier this week, on Feb. 24. The effect of that was that the nation went into the start of the conflict split about it.The public had voiced a collective uncertainty about how long a conflict with Iran would last. More thought it would last months or even years, rather than just days or weeks. Supporters tended to think it would be short. That sets some context as it now unfolds. Views on the duration of a potential conflict were tied closely to whether Americans said they would back military action or not: Those who thought the conflict would be quick tended to favor military action (prior to the start), but those who thought it would take a long time were opposed.With regard to the Iranian ruling regime, more favored U.S. economic or diplomatic pressure, rather than military force to remove them. Either way, a substantial majority of Americans thought the U.S. ought to…
Published: February 28, 2026 5:56 pm
Source: CBS News — Read original