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Most say Trump administration still hasn't explained Iran goals, CBS News poll finds

By
Anthony Salvanto
Anthony Salvanto
CBS News Director of Elections and Surveys
Anthony Salvanto, Ph.D., is CBS News' executive director of elections and surveys. He oversees the CBS News Poll and all surveys across topics and heads the CBS News Decision Desk that estimates outcomes on election nights
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Anthony Salvanto,
Jennifer De Pinto, Fred Backus

/ CBS News

Most Americans feel the Trump administration has not clearly explained the U.S.' goals in the conflict with Iran. 

Explanation — or the perceived lack of one — is linked to whether people support it or not.

The longer Americans believe the conflict will last, the more they disapprove. Half the country believes it'll be months, or even years before it's over.

When they don't think the administration has explained, they think it'll last longer or aren't sure.

And perhaps the most immediate view is this: Right now, more Americans feel the military action will make the U.S. less safe than more safe.

Americans do have their own range of ideas about what the administration's goals might be, and they think there are a lot of them. 

The people who say they think the goal is to stop nuclear weapons, stop terrorism or help the Iranian people tend to be supportive. 

Some also voice a more cynical view, that they think it's to gain political advantage back in the U.S.

Overall, most Americans disapprove.

But the president's Republican — and especially MAGA — base is solidly behind the action. Most of them think it is making the U.S. more safe. 

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This survey recontacted Americans first interviewed for our poll last week that was completed prior to the start of airstrikes.  

Last week, before the airstrikes began, somewhat more people said they'd approve of military action specifically to prevent nuclear weapons than say they approve of the action generally today. 

One reason for the difference: the people who have since moved to disapproval think the administration has not explained its goals. And they don't think it'll be a short conflict, and instead believe it will either be long or are uncertain about its duration.

A sizable two-thirds say the administration should get approval from Congress for further military action.  

(Republicans don't think that's necessary, echoing the views they expressed regarding U.S. military action in Venezuela.)

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This CBS News/YouGov survey is based on a nationally representative sample of 1,399 U.S. adults who were recontacted March 2-3, 2026, after the start of U.S. military action against Iran, following an initial survey conducted before U.S. military action February 25-27, 2026 using a nationally representative sample of 2,264 U.S. adults.  The margin of error for the total sample in the recontact survey is ± 3.2  points.

CBS News poll on Iran
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