Poll: Most Americans Expect Trump to Send Ground Troops to Iran but Majority Oppose Deployment

A new Reuters/Ipsos national poll conducted March 17–19 finds that nearly two‑thirds of Americans believe President Donald Trump will eventually send U.S. ground troops into the war with Iran, even as 55% say they oppose deploying ground forces. Only 7% of respondents support a large‑scale ground operation, while 34% back a more limited special‑forces incursion, underscoring public resistance to a full‑blown invasion despite some tolerance for smaller raids. Overall approval of the Iran campaign stands at just 37%, with 59% disapproving and a pronounced partisan split—77% of Republicans support the fighting compared with only 6% of Democrats and 28% of independents. The findings come as the U.S.–Israeli air and missile campaign enters its third week, after strikes that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader and senior officials and devastated much of the country’s military, but as Iran continues retaliatory attacks on Israel, regional neighbors and Gulf energy infrastructure that have choked off Strait of Hormuz shipping and helped send fuel prices soaring. Trump publicly said on March 19 that he is "not putting troops anywhere" while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has declined to rule out ground forces, leaving a gap between official messaging and what most Americans expect will happen.