What Americans Think of the U.S.-Iran Deal, According to Polls
President Donald Trump and his allies have touted the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and the preliminary agreement to end it as victories, but recent polls suggest that Americans are skeptical that the U.S. is in a better position as a result.
The U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding last week, signaling the beginning of the end to a war that has killed thousands in Iran and disrupted global trade. The agreement led to the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran militarized after the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28, causing surging gas prices to fall dramatically although still above pre-war levels.
Just 24% of Americans think that the war with Iran was worth the costs, according to the latest poll from Reuters/Ipsos, which surveyed 1,262 American adults across the country over June 18 to 22. Half of the respondents to the poll said the conflict was not worth it, and the rest said they were unsure.
And only 23% of respondents, including half of all Republican respondents, believe the U.S. is now in a stronger position with regard to Iran than it was before the war. Thirty-five percent of respondents think the U.S. is now in a weaker position.
The memorandum of understanding has been scrutinized by U.S. lawmakers over what appear to be significant concessions to Iran, including the unfreezing of billions of dollars of Iranian assets, the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil, and a $300 billion reconstruction fund for investment into Iran. Some have also pointed to a lack of explicit language in the MOU in terms of the management of the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns that U.S.-Iran negotiations could lead to further concessions to Iran or a failure to reach a finalized deal.
The MOU has also faced heavy criticism from Israeli officials, who have long said they cannot allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon. Iran agreed in the MOU to never seek a nuclear weapon, which has always been its stated position, including before the war. Analysts have raised concerns that Israel’s dissatisfaction with the MOU will incentivize it to escalate its attacks on Lebanon in order to jeopardize U.S.-Iran diplomacy. The MOU states that the cease-fire applies broadly to the region, including Lebanon.
Analysts previously told TIME that Israel has used similar strategies before when it attacked Iran last June amid U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations and ultimately drew the U.S. into a bombing campaign on Iranian nuclear facilities. Israel has already ramped up its offensive and broadened its plans for occupation in Lebanon. Its attacks have killed more than 4,000 people in Lebanon since early March. Earlier this month, Trump appeared exasperated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reportedly calling him “f-cking crazy,” as Israel’s attacks on Lebanon threatened to derail U.S.-Iran talks. The U.S. President said that Netanyahu would have to be “more responsible with respect to Lebanon” after the MOU was signed.
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