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As the conflict in the Middle East escalates, voters are torn on Israel’s decision to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, yet they agree Iran is a national security threat and that what happens abroad matters to life in the U.S.
Seventy-three percent of registered voters think Iran poses a real threat to the U.S., a 13-point increase from six years ago (the last time this question was asked).
“The increased sense that Iran constitutes a threat is real, but it also reflects the unique timing and circumstances surrounding this poll,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who helps run the Fox News Poll along with Democrat Chris Anderson. “The poll was in the field as images of Iranian missiles falling on Tel Aviv dominated television and the internet — the immediacy and clarity of the conflict undoubtedly contributes to how voters gauge what is at risk.”
Majorities of Democrats (69%), Republicans (82%), and Independents (62%) agree Iran poses a real risk and those numbers are up since 2019 (by 12, 17, and 4 points respectively).
The latest Fox survey, released Wednesday as President Donald Trump urged for Iran’s “unconditional surrender,” also finds voters split on Israel’s decision to launch military strikes against Iran’s nuclear programs – nearly half (49%) approve of the strikes while slightly fewer (46%) disapprove.
Republicans (73% approve) are more than twice as likely as Democrats (32%) and Independents (32%) to approve of the strikes.
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Voters have contradictory concerns. On the one hand, voters are pessimistic about how the air strikes will affect security. Most think the attacks against Iran will make the world a more dangerous place (59%) rather than safer (36%). About three-quarters of Democrats (74%) and Independents (77%) agree the strikes will increase peril, as do nearly 4 in 10 Republicans (36%).
On the other hand, voters are worried about Iran developing a nuclear weapon. Almost 8 in 10 say they are also extremely or very concerned about Iran’s nuclear program (78%) up from 66% in April and matching the high in September 2010. The increase comes from demographics across the board.
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While concern is palpable, voters see other issues as more pressing. When presented with a list of eight issues, Iran’s nuclear program falls in the middle. The future of the U.S. (85% extremely or very concerned), inflation (84%), and government spending (80%) rank higher while antisemitism (69%), illegal immigration (67%), the use of U.S. military troops domestically (66%), and protests in U.S. cities (63%) rank lower than concerns about Iran.
While roughly 8 in 10 Democrats, Republicans, and Independents are concerned about Iran getting a nuke, it only ranks in the top three concerns for Republicans.
Overall, 8 in 10 think what happens in the Middle East matters a great deal or some to life in the U.S. (81%) while more than half support financial aid to the Israelis for their military (53%), a 3-point increase since March, but down from a high of 60% in November 2023, shortly after the October 7 Hamas attacks.
Since November 2023, Democrats (-14 points) and Independents (-11) are less likely to support sending money to the Israelis while Republicans (+4 points) solidified their support.
“Even though most think the stakes are high, there is a reticence to get involved in the Middle East,” says Shaw. “The public isn’t blind to history and history teaches us that those who get directly involved in these conflicts do so at their peril.”
Trump left the G7 summit early on Monday along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, citing the ongoing and intensifying situation in the Middle East as the reason.
Trump’s approval rating on foreign policy has held relatively steady since April: 42% approve vs. 57% disapprove for a net negative rating of -15, it was -14 last month. He fares better on border security (53% approve, 46% disapprove) and immigration (46%, 53%) while he does worse on the economy (40%, 58%) and inflation (34%, 64%).
Overall, 46% approve of his job performance as president, while 54% disapprove.
Trump’s personal favorable rating held steady at 45%, compared to those in his administration.
Trump’s personal favorable rating held steady at 45%. Compared to those in his administration, Trump’s about even with Vice President JD Vance (44% favorable) and performs better than Rubio (42%), Elon Musk (41%), and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth (32%). Robert F. Kennedy Jr. does the best with a 48% favorable rating.
For comparison, the favorable ratings among Democratic Party leaders were in the same ballpark: Kamala Harris (49% favorable), Joe Biden (43%), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (40%), and Gavin Newsom (39%). Everyone tested was viewed more negatively than positively, although by only 2 points for both Harris and RFK Jr.
The Russia-Ukraine conflict
The continuing war between Russia and Ukraine takes a backseat to the conflict in the Middle East, with 72% saying the war matters a great deal to life in the U.S. compared to 81% who say the same about what is happening in the Middle East.
Those saying the Russia-Ukraine war matters are down from 81% in October 2023 (when the question was last asked) and a high of 85% in March 2022 (at the start of the war).
Even so, 56% of voters support sending money to Ukraine to help fight Russia. That number has held steady at between 54 and 63% for the last three years.
Big picture, majorities favor sending financial aid to the Ukrainians (56%) and the Israelis (53%) to fight their respective wars, with partisanship driving support in the different theaters.
Seventy percent of Democrats support funding Ukraine compared to just 46% of Republicans, while 71% of Republicans favor sending aid to Israel compared to just 43% of Democrats.
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Conducted June 13-16, 2025, under the direction of Beacon Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R), this Fox News survey includes interviews with a sample of 1,003 registered voters randomly selected from a national voter file. Respondents spoke with live interviewers on landlines (149) and cellphones (566) or completed the survey online after receiving a text (288). Results based on the full sample have a margin of sampling error of ±3 percentage points. Sampling error for results among subgroups is higher. In addition to sampling error, question wording and order can influence results. Weights are generally applied to age, race, education, and area variables to ensure the demographics of respondents are representative of the registered voter population. Sources for developing weight targets include the American Community Survey, Fox News Voter Analysis and voter file data.
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