Americans Split on 'Deal or Annihilation'

A late‑September 2026 Economist/YouGov poll finds no majority preference for how to end the Iran war: 35% would accept a deal that leaves enriched uranium intact, 24% would back a much larger U.S. military campaign, and large shares remain unsure. Partisans diverge sharply: three‑quarters of Democrats oppose bigger campaigns while a majority of Republicans would support one, and Republicans are far more likely to believe Trump could 'annihilate' Iran than to broker a deal. — The split matters because public ambivalence constrains political mandates for escalation or diplomacy, shapes bargaining leverage, and signals how partisan media and elite rhetoric will translate into electoral pressure and foreign‑policy risk.