As U.S. President Donald Trump announced the extension of a ceasefire temporarily halting military conflict with Iran, many Americans said they had heard little or nothing about the war with Iran. By contrast, nine out of 10 respondents in Global South countries reported being well-informed about the conflict.
◇ "Are We at War?"...America's Indifference to Unfolding Events
Foreign Policy, the U.S. foreign affairs journal, cited survey results on Thursday local time to analyze why there has been little active opposition or outrage in the United States despite high public disapproval (60%) of the war with Iran. The main reasons were "lack of interest" and "relatively small economic impact."
According to an Ipsos survey of 1,021 respondents, 44% of Americans said they knew "a little" about the war. Another 6% said they knew "nothing at all." Nearly half of respondents were not properly aware of the war situation.
A Gallup poll also found that six out of 10 Americans cited "access to healthcare" as their most pressing domestic concern. The fallout from the war was not a factor.
In contrast, a GeoPoll survey of 3,754 respondents across six Global South countries — Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Kenya, Nigeria and South Africa — found that 89% said they were "well aware" of the war situation. Only 11% said they had "heard a little," and no one said they had not heard of it at all. Among them, 70% said they were "very concerned" about rising living costs caused by the war.
◇ Energy Superpower U.S. vs. Import-Dependent Global South...'Inequality of Suffering'
This gap in perception is interpreted as reflecting the fact that while the United States initiated the war, poorer Global South countries are bearing more of its costs.
"The war began at a time when the United States is the world's largest producer of oil and natural gas, its stock market is booming on the artificial intelligence (AI) industry, and its economy is benefiting from a strong dollar," Foreign Policy noted. "By contrast, most Global South countries are net energy importers and lack the fiscal capacity to provide energy subsidies, so they inevitably suffer greater damage."
Pakistan, which is mediating between the United States and Iran, depends on the Gulf region for 80% of its energy imports and recently faced a severe energy crisis. In response, the Pakistani government introduced a four-day workweek and suspended salaries for cabinet ministers for two months as emergency measures. Half of all civil servants have begun working from home to reduce commuting costs, and schools nationwide have closed for two weeks.
Bangladesh, which imports 95% of its energy, has been hit hard as prices of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) used for cooking have surged more than 50%. Garment factory workers, who earn just over $4 a day, are being pushed to the brink. In Nepal, a strike by the transportation industry protesting rising fuel costs has triggered a chain reaction of price surges in daily necessities including rice and vegetables.
Other Asian countries heavily dependent on the Strait of Hormuz face similar situations. The Philippines declared a national energy emergency in March, and Vietnam has gone as far as cutting airline routes to save fuel.
African countries such as South Sudan and Mauritius, which rely on oil for more than 90% of their electricity, are seeing business activities paralyzed by continuous power outages. In some areas, power cuts of up to 12 hours a day have been reported amid a severe energy shortage.
"The weaker a country's currency, the more it pays for the costs of war, while wealthy countries, without exception, suffer less damage," Foreign Policy noted. "American consumers may think they are relatively insulated from the effects of the war, but the longer the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked, the greater the pain Americans will also experience."
