Trump approval drops as majority of Americans fear prolonged Iran conflict - poll

US President Donald Trump's approval rating has hit a new low of 33% as a vast majority of Americans express concern over the prolonged conflict with Iran, a Reuters/Ipsos poll revealed. This marks the lowest point of his presidency, tying a previous low from December 2017.

The poll, conducted over four days and surveying 1,166 US adults, found that 64% disapprove of Trump's performance. His popularity took a significant hit after he ordered strikes on Iran, a move that paralyzed a fifth of the global oil trade. This disruption led to a surge in gasoline prices, directly impacting US households and potentially affecting Republican candidates in the upcoming November midterm elections.

Trump had campaigned on promises to avoid long-lasting wars and keep inflation in check. He initially suggested the conflict with Iran would be brief, arguing it was necessary to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. However, Iran has proven resilient, continuing to bottleneck oil trade through the Strait of Hormuz even as the conflict has cooled.

The poll highlighted widespread public anxiety, with 80% of Americans believing US involvement in Iran "will go on for an extended period of time." This sentiment was shared across party lines, with 87% of Democrats and 71% of Republicans expressing this concern. Only 16% anticipated the conflict ending within a few weeks. The survey had a margin of error of 3 percentage points.

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will go on for an extended period of time