Few in US say Iran war was worth it

Trump approval rating lowest of term, poll finds

WASHINGTON:

Just one in four Americans believes President Donald Trump's war with Iran was worth its costs and a majority worry that a truce with Tehran is unlikely to last, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found.

The five-day poll, which closed on Monday, also showed the war weighing heavily on Trump's popularity, with his approval rating dropping to 34%, a return to the lowest level of the Republican's second term that was last touched in an April survey.

Only 23% of Americans - including just half of Republicans - think the U.S. is now in a stronger position with Iran compared with its position before the war, the poll found. Some 35% of respondents think it is in a weaker position. The rest said they were not sure or that the US position was about the same as before.

Only 24% of Americans think the war with Iran was worth the costs, the Reuters/Ipsos poll showed. Half of poll respondents said the conflict was not worth it and the rest were unsure.

Some 63% of Americans think it unlikely that the deal Trump signed will lead to lasting peace between the two countries. About half of Republicans and eight in 10 Democrats said the deal was unlikely to deliver peace. Just 18% of Americans - including 10% of Democrats and 34% of Republicans - see lasting peace as likely.

Trump won the 2024 presidential election after promising to reduce inflation and keep America out of costly foreign wars. His political brand has long leaned on his background as a deal-making real estate developer and reality television star.