Troublesome polls for Trump ahead of Iran addresspublished at 01:47 BST
Bernd Debusmann Jr
White House reporter
As we reported earlier, US president Donald Trump is expected to deliver an update on Operation Epic Fury – largely with a focus on its military successes dismantling Iran’s military capabilities.
From a purely military standpoint, the Trump administration clearly sees the operation as a win.
Trump, however, faces a significant challenge in the US. Poll after poll has shown that Americans have very mixed feelings about the war.
One poll released by CNN this afternoon found only about a third of the US public believes that the president has a clear plan for how to handle the situation. The same poll found that disapproval has risen to 63%.
Another poll released by Reuters and Ipsos this week found that 66% of Americans want the war to end as soon as possible, even if it falls short of achieving the goals that the administration had set. Only 27% of respondents said they believe the US should continue to work to achieve this goals, even if it means a protracted conflict.
The polling numbers are better among Republicans. The Reuters poll, for example, found that 57% of Republicans support continuing the operation for longer.
Some polls, however, show that even backers of the president are anxious about the possibility of a wider war and more American casualties. One AP poll shows that while 67% of respondents supported the decision to strike, only 20% would support an operation involving ground troops.
The president and his allies are also concerned by growing anxiety over petrol prices, which some have suggested may come to haunt Republicans in the upcoming midterm elections in November.
