A new poll reveals Americans’ indifferent views on several questions related to the ongoing US-Iran war. For many, the conflict is “marked by feelings of uncertainty,” and most of those polled in the survey believed that it is not going well.
According to the new CBS News Polls July 22-24, 2026, most Americans picked “uncertain” (58%) and “frustrated” (57%) as the top ways to describe their personal feelings about the war as the fighting escalates again. Only 19 percent of those polled were “optimistic” about it.
Most people also expect the conflict to take months or even years longer, with a big majority (76%) saying it’s been harder than the anticipated.
What do Americans want?
The public’s expressed goals have been consistent, CBS News reported on Sunday.
Opening of the (especially as gas prices rise back home), stopping Iran’s, stopping the Islamic Republic from threatening the region and safety of Iran’s people remain important to most Americans.
‘Conflict will last longer’
Most suspect the conflict will last months or even years longer.
When asked “how much longer will the military conflict with Iran last,” as many as 37 percent said it may take months, 21 percent said years, 9 percent said days/weeks, and 33 percent said they were not sure.
End the war or pressure Iran?
Given that, a preference for ending the war — as opposed to pressing for more concessions from Iran — remains the majority view.
For the one-third who do want the US to press on for more concessions from Iran, the goals listed above are especially important.
It’s also related to age: Younger people (18-29 years) are far more apt to say the war should end than older Americans over 65.
What drives that uncertainty?
People still don’t feel they’re getting an understanding of what’s happening day to day in the Strait of Hormuz.
And to most, President Trump isn’t helping on that search for clarity in the public, as most (60%) feel Trump makes things sound better than they are.
Meanwhile, perceptions of how the war is going have ticked down through the course of it.
Iran vs US: Who has the advantage?
Perceptions of who has the advantage at the moment remain mixed, at best, with many still saying neither side (38%), and a few more (40%) saying the US has the advantage now than in May.
Iran, US halt strikes
held their fire Monday, handing Gulf shipping and the oil industry a respite from missile strikes as Donald Trump’s UN envoy said the president was “giving talks some space,” AFP reported.
Tehran said it had halted retaliatory attacks against Washington’s allies in the Middle East, and US ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz told “Fox News Sunday” that, while forces remained “locked and loaded”, Trump would give negotiations “a little bit of room”.
Prior to Friday, the US military had carried out strikes on Iran for 13 consecutive nights, in the largest rekindling of the almost five-month-old war since an April ceasefire. But Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights passed without bombing.
“Since… our strategy has essentially been retaliatory, we have also halted our retaliatory operations,” said Iran’s army spokesman Mohammad Akraminia.
