About nine in 10 Americans said the Trump administration failed to achieve its goals in the war with Iran. Meanwhile, the share of respondents citing the war as their biggest concern dropped by half in three months.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 5th, 88% of respondents in a Marquette University Law School poll said "the United States did not achieve its goals in the Iran war." That figure was 7 percentage points higher than in the April survey. Marquette University Law School conducted the survey of 1,076 adults last month.
Those who said the goals had been achieved stood at 12%, down from April's 21%. The share saying the war was not worth the cost was 75%, up slightly from 72% in April. Respondents citing the war as their biggest concern fell to 10% in July from 24% in April.
About 72% of respondents believed the resumption of fighting had lowered the chances of a peace agreement. Some 28% said the chances had instead risen. More than 40% said Iran's control over the Strait of Hormuz had grown compared with before the war. Those who said it had weakened accounted for 30%.
The survey results came as negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz gained momentum. Iran is holding talks with neighboring Oman, and U.S. officials expressed confidence in an early resolution. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on the 4th, "In the short term, discussions and negotiations are underway between Oman and Iran on ways for more vessels to pass safely," while adding, "There is progress in the talks, but it is not yet the final stage." Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesman for Iran's Foreign Ministry, also said the negotiations with Oman were positive and ongoing. Iranian state media reported that the focus was on establishing safe shipping routes.
Earlier, the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran in February. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks on Israel and neighboring countries and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz. The United States also imposed its own blockade to press for the strait's reopening. In June, the two countries signed a 14-clause memorandum of understanding (MOU) aimed at reopening the strait and launching comprehensive negotiations. However, fighting resumed after the United States conducted airstrikes across Iran last month, citing Iran's attacks on three oil tankers in the Hormuz strait.
The closure and blockade of the strait pushed up energy prices. Inflationary pressures also grew in the United States and worldwide. Respondents who said gasoline prices at the pump had "risen" stood at 81%, lower than April's 95% but far higher than January's 21%. The average national retail gasoline price in the United States was around $4.10 per gallon (3.79 liters), up more than 30% since the start of the Iran war.
