US Poll: 1/4 Believe War with Iran Was Worth It, Over 60% Worry Peace Won't Last

Key News on the US-Iran War

(CNA Washington, June 23, Combined News from Abroad) A Reuters/Ipsos poll shows that only 1/4 of American citizens believe President Trump's (Donald Trump) cost in the Iran war was worth it, with a majority concerned that the ceasefire agreement reached between the US and Iran will not last.

The survey, which lasted for five days and concluded yesterday, also indicates that the war has heavily impacted Trump's popularity, with his approval rating dropping to 34%, falling back to the lowest level of his second term set in April of this year.

According to the poll, only 23% of respondents believe the US's current situation with Iran is better than before the war, and only half of Republicans agree with this; 35% believe the US's current situation with Iran is weaker than before the war; the rest answered uncertain or believed the US's current situation is about the same as before the war.

Trump and Iranian President Pezeshkian (Masoud Pezeshkian) signed a preliminary agreement on the 17th of this month, agreeing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping lane for oil and natural gas that had been stalled due to the conflict, and to ease measures led by the US aimed at pressuring Iran's economy.

Although this agreement led to a rapid drop in international crude oil prices, for most American citizens, gasoline prices remain significantly higher than pre-war levels. After the US and Israel jointly attacked Iran on February 28th, Iran launched retaliatory strikes, disrupting about 1/5 of global oil trade and damaging the energy facilities of US regional allies.

● Half of Americans Feel the Cost Outweighed the Benefit

According to the Reuters/Ipsos survey, only 24% of American respondents believe the war with Iran was worth the cost, while half of respondents believe the cost outweighed the benefit, and the rest expressed uncertainty.

Approximately 63% of American respondents believe the agreement signed by Trump will not bring lasting peace between the two countries; about half of Republicans and 80% of Democrats stated that the possibility of this agreement achieving peace is not high; only 18% of Americans believe it can bring lasting peace; looking at party affiliation, only 10% of Democrats hold this optimistic view, and only 34% of Republicans do.

Trump's political image has long been built on his background as a skilled negotiator, real estate mogul, and reality TV star. Before the 2024 general election, representing the Republican Party, he promised to lower inflation and vowed to avoid dragging the US into costly overseas wars, resonating with voters and thus winning the election.

Trump's approval rating on the issue of "cost of living" is only 22%, not only nearing the lowest point of his presidency but also lower than the approval rating of former Democratic President Biden (Joe Biden) at the end of his term.

● Poll Slump Could Impact Midterm Elections

Trump's approval rating at the start of his second presidential term was 47%, but with persistently high inflation and controversies arising from his tough stance on deporting illegal immigrants, including fatal clashes with pro-immigrant demonstrators, his support has been hit.

The drop in his popularity could affect the efforts of his Republican allies to maintain their congressional majority in the November 3rd midterm elections. The survey shows that if elections were held today, only 17% of unaffiliated registered voters would vote for the Republican candidate in their district, while 34% would support the Democratic candidate.

The latest Reuters/Ipsos survey shows that only 37% of American citizens approve of Trump's performance on immigration issues, a new low during his tenure, down from 40% in the previous survey.

The latest survey collected opinions from 1262 American adults nationwide, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points. (Compiled by: Tsai Chia-min) 1150624

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