How Young Men Feel About Potential US War With Iran

Newsweek

7 hours ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
For many young American men, the idea of another war halfway around the globe doesn't spark the kind of clear-cut patriotism it once did.
Unlike older generations that rallied around military action, polls show that younger voters are more apprehensive about supporting intervention abroad.
A late-May survey by the Young Men Research Project (YMRP), conducted with YouGov among 1,079 American men aged 18 to 29, found a modest plus-12 margin supporting U.S.-backed regime change in Iran (39 percent support vs. 27 percent oppose), while 34 percent remained unsure. Notably, party differences were minimal: Democrats favored regime change by plus-20, Republicans by plus-18, and both groups showed comparable uncertainty.
Support was strongest among young men who prize physical strength (plus-33 margin) and those identifying as Trump Republicans (plus-36 margin), each with about one-quarter uncertain. However, men advocating broader calls for increased masculinity were notably less enthusiastic, with a plus-16 margin.
The survey was conducted before Israel's airstrikes and before serious U.S. discussions of involvement. Since then, President Donald Trump ordered airstrikes against three key Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend. In retaliation, Iran fired missiles at a U.S. military base in Qatar on Monday.
A ceasefire was agreed to between Iran and Israel on Monday. But the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) has accused Iran of violating the ceasefire and said it will strike Tehran in retaliation. Iran's military has denied any such violation.
President Donald Trump speaks from the East Room of the White House in Washington on June 21, 2025, after the U.S. military struck three Iranian nuclear and military sites, joining Israel's effort to decapitate the...
President Donald Trump speaks from the East Room of the White House in Washington on June 21, 2025, after the U.S. military struck three Iranian nuclear and military sites, joining Israel's effort to decapitate the country's nuclear program. More
Carlos Barria/AP
Growing Reluctance Toward War
Amid such an uncertain environment, further polling indicates growing hesitation among young Americans about military involvement in the Middle East. An Economist/YouGov survey from mid-June found only 16 percent of 18- to 29-year-olds supported U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict, with 53 percent opposed and 31 percent unsure, mirroring national attitudes.
In the same poll, 59 percent of men said they oppose U.S. involvement in the Israel-Iran conflict, while only 19 percent supported U.S. action.
Similarly, a J.L. Partners poll in mid-June reported that only 40 percent of men overall supported U.S. action in Iran, with 45 percent opposed. Support shrank to 28 percent among the youngest voters, while 45 percent disapproved.
Among the youngest voters, support was even smaller. Only 28 percent said they supported U.S. airstrikes, while 45 percent said they disapprove.
Such polls are in line with national surveys which suggest that Americans largely do not support U.S. military action in Iran. A YouGov/Economist survey, conducted from June 20 to 23, 2025, found that public opinion shifted sharply after Donald Trump announced that the U.S. had bombed Iranian nuclear facilities. Among all U.S. adults, just 29 percent said the U.S. should carry out such strikes, while 46 percent said it should not.
The Washington Post found modestly higher support than YouGov did for the U.S. military bombing Iran. In the poll, 25 percent of adults supported "the U.S. military launching airstrikes against Iran over its nuclear program," while 45 percent were opposed.
The poll also found that 82 percent of Americans were either "somewhat" or "very" concerned about getting involved in a full-scale war with Iran.
Meanwhile, analysis by pollster G. Elliott Morris showed that just 21 percent of Americans said last week that they supported U.S. involvement in Iran, while 57 percent opposed.
The Trump Factor
But when broken down by party affiliation, poll results reveal a striking pattern.
In the YouGov/Economist poll, support for U.S. military action in Iran among Democrats fell from 16 percent before Trump's announcement to just 5 percent after. Meanwhile, Republican support soared from 34 percent to 70 percent. Independents showed a smaller shift, with support rising from 11 percent to 26 percent.
The J.L. Partners poll showed that support for U.S. military action against Iran is strongest among Trump's most devoted base. Two-thirds of self-identified "MAGA Republicans" (65 percent) back U.S. strikes, far surpassing support among "Traditional Republicans" (51 percent). Most Republican voters also view Israel's war with Iran as a shared American cause, with 63 percent saying "Israel's war is America's war"—a figure that rises to 67 percent among MAGA Republicans.
On how long the conflict should last, 59 percent of MAGA Republicans say the U.S. should fight until Iran's nuclear program is destroyed, compared to 28 percent who prefer negotiations. Among all voters, however, a majority (53 percent) favored pausing attacks to pursue diplomacy, while only 30 percent want to continue military action.
Generational Shift Away From War
Polls also show that support for military intervention in Iran is lower than it was for previous interventions in the Middle East, analysis by Morris shows.
In the immediate aftermath of 9/11, military action in Afghanistan had near-universal approval. A staggering 88 percent of Americans supported the U.S. invasion in 2001, while just 10 percent opposed it. That support remained high in the lead-up to the Iraq War in 2003, with 71 percent backing the strikes and 27 percent against.
By 2014, public enthusiasm had cooled significantly. When the U.S. launched operations against ISIS, support had dropped to 54 percent, with opposition rising to 41 percent.
And compared to past conflicts, the American public—especially young people—are far more hesitant about war.
During World War II, after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Americans largely embraced military service and supported the war effort with strong patriotism. Gallup polls from the 1940s showed more than 90 percent support for U.S. involvement.
However, attitudes changed dramatically during the Vietnam War. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, many Americans opposed the war, influenced by rising casualties and graphic media coverage. In 1970, Gallup found that about 60 percent of Americans supported the conflict.
After Vietnam, American's views on war became more conditional, particularly among young people. The 1990-91 Gulf War initially received broad support. But skepticism returned with the protracted wars in Iraq and Afghanistan after 2001. Pew Research Center surveys from the mid-2000s showed declining support as those conflicts dragged on.
In recent years, young Americans have grown increasingly reluctant to endorse military interventions. A 2021 Cato Institute survey found millennials and Gen Z are less supportive of war compared to older generations. Economic concerns and a preference for diplomacy over military force also factor into their attitudes.
The YMRP survey results reinforce these complexities. Young men experiencing financial hardship showed much less support. Those reporting financial instability had just a +1 support margin, and those believing the economy was worsening actually opposed the policy by a small margin (-1), both with high uncertainty (41 percent). In contrast, financially stable young men supported the policy by +24, and those optimistic about the economy showed a +36 margin.
Declining Support For Trump Among Young Men
The changing mindset may also be contributing to Trump's falling approval among young voters. While young men helped fuel Trump's victory in 2024—with 53 percent of those aged 18 to 44 supporting him, up from 45 percent in 2020—recent polling suggests that support has eroded.
Analysis by YouGov shows Trump's net approval among 18- to 29-year-olds has dropped from +5 at the start of his second term to -39—a 44-point swing. The decline is far steeper than in other age groups. Among voters aged 30 to 44, Trump's net approval now stands at -13, down from -6. Among those 45 to 64, it fell from +12 to -5. Among voters 65 and older, it has remained steady at -4.