Just one in four Americans believes President Donald Trump’s military campaign against Iran was worth its cost, according to a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. The survey also reveals widespread skepticism about the durability of the recent U.S.-Iran agreement — with a majority of respondents saying a lasting peace remains unlikely, despite the deal brokered by Trump.
Public Confidence Plummets
The five-day poll, completed Monday, shows Trump’s approval rating has fallen to 34% — the lowest point since the start of his second term. That matches a low previously recorded in April. Only 23% of Americans — and just half of Republicans — believe the U.S. is now in a stronger position relative to Iran than before the conflict began. Meanwhile, 35% say the country is in a weaker position; the rest were unsure or said the U.S. stance hasn’t changed.
A Fragile Agreement
Trump and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian signed a preliminary agreement on June 17 aimed at resuming oil exports from Iran and easing U.S. economic sanctions on Tehran. While the deal triggered a sharp drop in global crude prices, most Americans still perceive gasoline prices as significantly higher than they were before February 28 — the date the conflict began.
Only 24% of respondents said the war was justified. Half said it wasn’t, while the remainder expressed uncertainty. And when asked whether Trump’s agreement could lead to enduring peace between the two nations, 63% — including half of Republicans and 80% of Democrats — said it was unlikely. Just 18% believed lasting peace was possible: 10% among Democrats and 34% among Republicans.
Broader Discontent
Public dissatisfaction extends beyond foreign policy. Only 22% approve of Trump’s handling of the cost-of-living crisis — near the lowest mark of his presidency and even lower than Joe Biden’s approval rating at the end of his term. Trump’s approval stood at 47% upon returning to the White House but eroded amid high inflation and controversy over aggressive immigration enforcement efforts targeting undocumented residents.
This decline could have political consequences for Republican allies running for congressional seats in the November 3 midterm elections. On immigration specifically, only 37% approve of Trump’s approach — down from 40% in the previous Reuters/Ipsos poll.
The survey polled 1,262 U.S. adults and carries a margin of error of ±3 percentage points.