STORY: :: Americans question whether war with Iran was worth the cost
:: Chesterton, Indiana / April 8, 2026
:: Chad Gard, Baker and owner of Hole in the Woods Farm
"What are we getting? You know, we're ruining our position in the world. We're being the bad guys. We're ruining the world economy and we're gaining nothing." // "I've got so many friends, I mean I've got customers who can't afford to shop with us anymore. I've got farmer friends who've gone bankrupt."
:: Melanie Curtis, Chef and owner of Gene Catering and Desserts
"Years ago, I had a set goal. I wanted my company to at least make $100,000 and I would be satisfied. Well, with this war going on, and with everything that we have going on in politics, $100,000 is not enough. We're still underwater, we're still struggling. We're still trying to make ends meet."
:: Aaron Klug, Farmer, Klug Family
"As like, a low man on the totem pole I'll say, it's just like, why? We don't need this, you know, it's supposed to be for us, you know, for our people you know, here in America, like try to do more. There's so much more we could do, you. You know, you see how much they spend like the first week, and you're like, 'and we had to cut Medicaid stuff for that?'"
:: New York
:: Christyna Kay, Freelance makeup artist
"I think it's dumb, to be honest. Like, there are so many ways, diplomatic ways, that we can ease the situations, but I feel like there, you know, are a lot of politicians acting like big kids."
:: Walt Moran, Retired firefighter
"Even if they open up the strait tomorrow, you know, there's going to be such a backlog. It's not like they open the strait and prices go down right away."
Reuters spoke with 16 people across Indiana, New York, California, Georgia and Colorado on Wednesday - a day after the United States and Iran agreed to the ceasefire - to understand how they are processing the war amid rapid news cycles, constant social media distraction and a fractured political landscape.
Launched without congressional approval, the war is broadly unpopular, though views differ along partisan lines.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll published on March 31 found that 60% of Americans opposed U.S. military strikes on Iran, with 74% of Republicans supporting the action, compared with 22% of Democrats.
In addition to their thoughts on the war, Reuters asked them about the economy, the country's political divide, and the extent to which they are keeping up with news developments.
