More Than Half of U.S. Voters Say "Iran War Was Not Worth the Cost"

Trump's Approval Rating Falls Again to 36%
Anti-American Forces Gather at Khamenei's Funeral

AP Yonhap News

More than half of American voters believe that the Iran War was not worth its cost, according to recent findings. As President Donald Trump's approval ratings continue to stagnate ahead of the upcoming midterm elections in November, concerns are growing among Republicans about the possibility of losing the election.

According to an online poll conducted by the Financial Times (FT) and polling firm Focaldata among American voters on July 5 (local time), 58% of respondents said "the Iran War was not worth its cost." Only 28% of voters said it was worthwhile. Additionally, 44% of respondents believed that the war has left the United States in a weaker position compared to Iran, while only 31% said it resulted in a stronger position for the U.S.

There was also skepticism regarding the memorandum of understanding (MOU) that the U.S. and Iran signed to end the war. Sixty-six percent of respondents said that it would have little or no impact on peace and stability in the Middle East, or could even worsen instability and the potential for conflict. Only 20% believed it would lead to peace in the region.

President Trump's job approval rating stood at about 36%, down two percentage points from the previous month. When asked which party's candidate they would support in the midterm elections, 44% favored the Democratic Party and 38% supported the Republican Party. The poll surveyed 1,795 American voters between June 26 and 30, with a margin of error of ±2.7 percentage points.

With only about four months left until the midterm elections, there are growing predictions that it will be difficult for the Republican Party to maintain its majority. According to CNN, 35 out of 100 seats in the U.S. Senate are up for grabs in this midterm election. Of those 35 seats, Republicans currently hold 22, while Democrats have 13. If Democrats win just 4 more seats from this group, they will gain majority control.

CNN pointed out that in order for Republicans to maintain their current advantage in the Senate, they would need to win most of the nine battleground states: North Carolina, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, Alaska, Iowa, Georgia, New Hampshire, and Texas—a challenging prospect. In particular, if the Republican majority in the Senate is broken, it is expected that the Trump administration could face an early lame-duck period. Sensing the tough electoral landscape, President Trump has announced an unusually timed party convention in September, an event typically held only during presidential elections.

However, there are calls to end the Iran War as soon as possible rather than focusing on the party convention. Still, since the funeral of Khamenei began on July 4, hardline anti-American forces have regrouped, making it difficult to predict whether negotiations will resume. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament and head of the negotiating team with the U.S., attended Khamenei's funeral and declared, "There is no peace between the U.S. and us," adding, "Revenge for the martyred Khamenei means liberating Jerusalem."

Israel is also pressuring the United States to resume its military options against Iran. According to local Israeli media outlet i24, citing sources, "In the coming days, senior Israeli officials plan to visit Washington for high-level talks with U.S. officials," and "Israel is still considering military options against Iran and will discuss this with the United States."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.