Poll: Majority of Americans Do Not Understand the Objectives of the War on Iran

SadaNews - A new opinion poll in the United States shows that the majority of Americans believe that President Donald Trump has not clarified the reasons and objectives of the war on Iran, as concerns rise over the economic consequences of the war and the increase in fuel prices.

According to a poll conducted by "Reuters" in collaboration with the "Ipsos" institute, the results of which were published on Monday, about 66% of Americans said that Trump did not "clearly clarify the goals of U.S. military intervention in Iran."

This comes after more than two months since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli joint war on Iran on February 28, which continued for nearly 40 days before the parties reached a temporary and fragile ceasefire.

The poll, which lasted for four days, indicated that a third of participating Republicans also adopted this stance, along with the majority of participating Democrats.

The poll revealed that the war has led to increasing economic concerns within the United States, despite a decrease in the frequency of confrontations in recent weeks with proposals being exchanged regarding the cessation of hostilities.

Gas prices in the United States have risen by about 50% since the start of the war, after Iran was able to disrupt about one-fifth of global oil trade and keep the Strait of Hormuz "nearly closed," despite U.S. naval attempts to reopen it to oil tanker traffic.

About 63% of participants said that their families' financial situations have been adversely affected by the recent increase in fuel prices, compared to only 55% in a previous poll conducted by "Reuters/Ipsos" between March 17 and 19.

In contrast, the poll showed a slight increase in Trump's popularity, with a job approval rating of 36%, an increase of two percentage points compared to a poll conducted at the end of April when his approval rating dropped to 34%, the lowest level during his current term.

However, Trump's popularity remains below its levels before the outbreak of the war, having been at 40% just before the military confrontation with Iran, while he had started his current presidential term in January 2025 with a support rate of 47%, following his election campaign in which he pledged to reduce the cost of living for Americans.

The poll indicated that three-quarters of Americans believe that the Trump administration bears "a considerable amount" of responsibility for rising gas prices, including about half of participating Republicans.

When asked which political entity is most responsible for the fuel price crisis, 65% said the responsibility rests with Republicans, compared to only 27% who blamed Democrats. Four out of five Americans expect further increases in gas prices in the coming period.

In the absence of any imminent agreement between Washington and Tehran, the poll shows that about three in ten Americans expect to scale back their summer vacation plans if fuel prices remain high, with many expecting to cancel their trips or travel shorter distances.

The poll was conducted online and involved 1,254 American adults from various parts of the United States; the margin of error is three percentage points.