War with Iran Hits Trump's Party Ratings — Poll
US domestic politics is beginning to shape the course of the military confrontation between Washington and Tehran. Poll data cited by The Wall Street Journal shows that the conflict with Iran is hurting the Republican Party's ratings ahead of the November midterm elections. Rising fuel prices, military spending, and the threat of a prolonged war are reducing Trump's popularity. Tehran is using the White House's electoral vulnerability as a lever of pressure, and the IRGC is considering preemptive strikes in case of a diplomatic deadlock.
US domestic politics is beginning to shape the course of the military confrontation between Washington and Tehran. According to opinion poll data cited by The Wall Street Journal, the military conflict with Iran does not enjoy the support of American voters and is seriously hurting the ratings of the Republican Party ahead of the November midterm congressional elections. Rising fuel prices, a sharp increase in military spending, and the threat of a prolonged war are reducing Donald Trump's popularity. Analysts and Iranian diplomats note that the decline in Republican support in swing states creates tough 'internal boundaries' for the Trump administration, forcing the White House to seek diplomatic solutions or a pause in the conflict. Officials in Tehran view the White House's electoral vulnerability as an additional tool of influence. Tehran expects that Republican fears of defeat in the November elections will force the US to make concessions in diplomatic consultations. According to Iranian diplomatic sources, if diplomacy reaches a deadlock, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is considering the option of preemptive strikes on American facilities and allies in the region, without waiting for a direct attack or new large-scale waves of airstrikes from the US.