A new nationwide poll reveals that most Americans are skeptical about the value of President Donald Trump’s war with Iran, and a majority doubt that the recently signed peace agreement will bring lasting stability.
The Reuters/Ipsos poll, which wrapped up on Monday after five days of data collection, found that only 24% of Americans believe the conflict with Iran was worth what it cost the country. Half of those surveyed said it was not worth it, and the remaining respondents said they were unsure.
The war also appears to be dragging down Trump’s standing with the public. His approval rating has dipped to 34%, tying the lowest point of his current term, which was previously recorded in an April survey.
When it comes to America’s global standing, just 23% of respondents — including only half of Republicans — believe the United States is now in a stronger position relative to Iran than it was before the fighting began. About 35% said the U.S. is actually in a weaker position, while the rest either weren’t sure or felt the situation was roughly unchanged.
Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian put their names to a preliminary agreement on June 17. The deal is designed to reopen oil and gas shipping routes that were frozen during the conflict and to ease U.S.-led economic pressure on Iran.
While the agreement has helped push global crude oil prices down, most Americans are still paying significantly more at the gas pump than they were before February 28, when U.S.-Israeli strikes launched the war. Iran struck back against those initial attacks, temporarily shutting down roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil trade and causing damage to energy infrastructure belonging to U.S. allies in the region.
Doubts about the durability of the peace deal are widespread. Some 63% of Americans said they consider it unlikely that the agreement will lead to a lasting peace between the two nations. That skepticism cuts across party lines — about half of Republicans and eight in ten Democrats said they don’t expect the deal to hold. Only 18% of Americans overall — including 34% of Republicans and just 10% of Democrats — believe lasting peace is a realistic outcome.
Trump entered his second term having campaigned on promises to bring down inflation and steer the country away from expensive foreign conflicts. He has long built his public image around his history as a businessman and television personality known for making deals.
His approval rating on economic issues, specifically the cost of living, stands at just 22% — near the lowest of his presidency and below the rating his Democratic predecessor held at the close of his time in office.
Trump began this term with a 47% approval rating, but his numbers have eroded amid persistent inflation and controversy surrounding his immigration enforcement efforts, which have included deadly clashes involving pro-immigration activists.
The decline in his popularity could create headaches for his Republican allies as they work to hold onto their congressional majorities in the November 3 midterm elections.
On immigration specifically, just 37% of Americans said they approve of how Trump has handled the issue — the lowest mark of his term and a drop from 40% in the previous Reuters/Ipsos survey.
The poll surveyed 1,262 adults across the United States and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
