What happens when war breaks out in the middle of a survey?

Public opinion of the United States and national economic sentiment declined in multiple countries following the joint US-Israeli airstrikes against Iran on Feb. 28, according to a Pew Research Center global survey that captured shifting attitudes in real time during its fieldwork [1]. The survey, conducted among roughly 1,000 adults in dozens of countries, was in the field when the airstrikes occurred, allowing researchers to observe opinion changes as interviews progressed through March and into April [1]. The attacks marked the start of a broader conflict; from Feb. 28 to June 17, 2026, the US and Israel were at war with Iran and its regional allies, a conflict that included Iranian retaliatory strikes and a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz that disrupted the global economy [3]. Using statistical regressions that controlled for demographics and geography, Pew found that favorability toward the US fell significantly in Greece, India, Italy, Kenya, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Sweden, and Thailand [1]. In Greece and Thailand, views of the US dropped sharply throughout the field period, while in Spain and Germany, where favorability was already low, no significant change was recorded [1]. The survey also found slight declines in confidence in US President Donald Trump to handle world affairs [1]. Views of national economic conditions worsened in several countries, often moving in tandem with US favorability. South Korea, which depends heavily on energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, saw energy prices rise sharply during fieldwork, and its citizens' economic outlook declined significantly [1]. Similar patterns emerged in Canada, Chile, the Netherlands, and Thailand [1]. In around a third of the countries surveyed, significantly worsening economic views persisted even after adding demographic and geographic controls [1]. The war's economic impact included the largest-ever supply disruption of the global oil market, with oil and gas shipments affected by Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz and by Israeli and Iranian attacks on energy facilities [3]. The conflict also escalated the Hezbollah-Israel front into the 2026 Lebanon war, which killed more than 2,000 civilians and militants [3]. Pew noted that in most Muslim-majority countries surveyed, fieldwork did not begin until after Ramadan, several weeks after the attack, and views of the US were already quite negative [1]. Pakistan was an exception: fieldwork there started April 8, just before Islamabad hosted the first round of US-Iran peace talks, and views of the US ticked up slightly over the survey period [1].