Divided On The War, Open To A Deal

President Donald Trump said Monday that he would hold off on new military strikes against Iran for now, after meeting at the White House with Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani. Sheikh Mohammed, whose government has served as a key intermediary with Iran, visited Tehran last week. The U.S. naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz remains in place. On Sunday, the president said new strikes were highly unlikely if negotiations made progress, though he noted that additional targets had been identified.

Trump also called off planned strikes in May and in August at the request of Gulf governments, and fighting resumed after earlier halts. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters before leaving for a G7 meeting in Paris that he did not believe a breakthrough was imminent.

Diplomatic efforts have picked up since last week’s midterm elections. The TIPP Poll, conducted October 27–30 among 1,480 U.S. adults, measured opinion in the closing days of the campaign. Americans were evenly divided over the war but showed more agreement about how it should end.

An Even Split

Asked whether they support or oppose U.S. military action against Iran, 45% of Americans said they support it, 45% said they oppose it, and 10% were unsure. The results were the same when respondents were asked whether President Trump made the right decision in launching strikes in February: 45% said right, 45% said wrong, and 9% were unsure.

Opponents were somewhat more likely to hold their view strongly. Twenty-seven percent strongly oppose military action, while 22% strongly support it. On the February decision, 29% said it was definitely wrong, and 22% said it was definitely right.

Republicans support military action 74% to 20%, and 78% say the strikes were the right decision. Democrats oppose military action 68% to 24%, and 72% say the strikes were wrong. Independents oppose military action 53% to 31% and say the strikes were the wrong decision by 58% to 32%.

Priorities for the Next Phase

Asked to name the main U.S. priority in dealing with Iran, 38% chose reaching a negotiated agreement to end the conflict, and 23% chose reducing U.S. involvement. Sixteen percent favored maintaining economic and military pressure, 12% favored additional military action, and 12% were unsure. In all, 61% picked an option that would wind down the conflict, and 28% picked one that would sustain or increase pressure.

A negotiated agreement was the most common choice across all three partisan groups, at 46% among Democrats, 41% among independents, and 30% among Republicans, though its lead among Republicans was narrow. 27% of Republicans chose to maintain economic and military pressure, and 16% chose additional military action. Combining the options, Republicans divided 47% for negotiations or reduced involvement and 43% for sustained or increased pressure. Democrats were the most likely to favor reducing U.S. involvement, at 29%, compared with 22% of independents and 17% of Republicans.

Among Americans who support the military action, 31% named a negotiated agreement as the top priority, 28% chose maintaining pressure, and 20% chose further strikes. Four in five supporters of the campaign named something other than additional military action as their first priority.

The question asked about priorities and was not a vote on a specific policy, so it does not indicate how Americans would respond to renewed strikes under different circumstances.

Room for a Settlement

The issues dividing the two sides are substantial. Washington insists that Iran must not acquire a nuclear weapon, and Tehran is seeking relief from sanctions. The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to normal shipping is tied to both. Gulf governments have pressed for a negotiated outcome several times this year.

Any agreement will draw objections from several quarters, but the poll suggests it would not lack public support. A negotiated settlement was the leading priority among Democrats and independents, and it ran even with or ahead of other options among Republicans and the war’s supporters.

Monday’s pause gives the talks more time. Opinion on the war itself remains divided, but on how it should end, the public has given negotiators room to work.

Methodology: The TIPP Poll surveyed 1,480 U.S. adults online from October 27–30, 2026. The credibility interval is approximately ±2.8 percentage points for the full sample and larger for subgroups. Percentages may not total 100 due to rounding. TIPP’s reputation for polling excellence comes from being the most accurate pollster for the past six presidential elections.