71% of Americans Want Congress to End Iran War, Poll Finds

The poll also found that 63% of respondents want Congress to make ending the war a major focus during the first 100 days of its new session, which begins January 3. More than half, 54%, said the conflict’s harms—including higher gas prices—have not been worth any benefits. The war has killed more than 3,400 Iranians, 13 US service members and thousands of people elsewhere in the Middle East, while disrupting economies around the world.

Hegseth said Tuesday that Iran’s navy had sunk, its air force was grounded and more than 80% of its nuclear industrial base was gone. He also said the US controlled the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran has disputed his victory claims. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, called Monday for the US to accept seven Iranian conditions, including ending the blockade of Iranian ports and vessels, stopping fighting on all fronts and lifting sanctions on Iranian oil and gas sales.

President Donald Trump, whose approval rating in the poll was 32%, told reporters Monday that Iran was “militarily, effectively over” and that the US was maintaining the status quo. Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute of Responsible Statecraft wrote that Trump might avoid both a formal peace and renewed war, leaving a conflict simmering under what he called a “Swiss cheese status quo.”

Anti-war group Just Foreign Policy urged Democratic leaders to move immediately to cut off funding, rather than wait for the new session. It pointed to December 11, when current government spending expires, as an opportunity to block further war funding. Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) has backed blocking the funds. Dylan Williams of the Center for International Policy said Congress could act by barring additional funding and rejecting bills that continue it. Political scientist Yousef Munayyer said voters were angered by the decision to join Israel in attacking Iran without public debate.