Latest Survey Slaps Trump, Americans Deem War with Iran No Longer Worthwhile

A new survey reveals that a majority of Americans believe the war against Iran is not worth fighting, marking a significant political setback for President Donald Trump. According to the Washington Post-Ipsos poll, only 23% of Americans are confident that Trump can secure a nuclear deal with Iran that is better than the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed during the Obama administration. In contrast, 37% of respondents believe Trump will produce a worse deal, a 14-percentage-point margin over those who are optimistic. Another 12% felt the outcome would likely be about the same as the JCPOA, while the remainder offered no opinion.

Trump has repeatedly attacked the JCPOA over the past four and a half months, describing it as a total surrender to Iran that paved the way for Tehran to acquire nuclear weapons. Despite this rhetoric, the poll indicates his efforts to build public support have faltered. The survey also found that 68% of Americans now view the war with Iran as not worth fighting, a figure higher than the historic opposition to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Disapproval of Trump’s handling of Iran has climbed to 69% as the midterm elections approach.

The administration has invested far greater political, economic, and military resources than its predecessor in pursuit of a new deal, opting for a war that has killed more than a dozen US soldiers and cost tens of billions of dollars in a short period. The conflict has also destabilised the global economy, and with no end in sight, the situation has grown more complex after Iran seized control of the Strait of Hormuz, creating a new crisis that did not exist before the war began.