By Jason Lange
WASHINGTON, May 11 (Reuters) - Two out of three Americans think President Donald Trump has not clearly explained why the country has gone to war with Iran, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll completed on Monday that also showed his approval rating ticking up from the lowest level of his term.
The four-day poll revealed deep concerns about surging gasoline prices, and also suggested many voters are casting blame for their troubles on Trump's Republican allies who will be defending their congressional majorities in the November midterm elections.
More than two months into a conflict that began February 28 with a U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign, some 66% of poll respondents - including one in three Republicans and almost all Democrats - said Trump has not "clearly explained the goals of U.S. military involvement in Iran."
The war, which has cooled in recent weeks as both sides floated peace proposals, has driven a roughly 50% increase in gasoline prices across the country as Iran has shut down a fifth of the global oil trade. Tehran has managed to keep the narrow Strait of Hormuz closed despite efforts by U.S. warships to re-open the waterway to global oil tanker traffic.
HOUSEHOLD FINANCES TAKE HIT
Some 63% of the country says their household's personal financial situation has taken a hit from recent gas price increases, up from 55% in a Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted March 17-19.
Some 36% of Americans approve of Trump's performance, up two percentage points since a late April Reuters/Ipsos poll showed his approval rating at 34%, which was the lowest level of Trump's current term in office.
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The Reuters/Ipsos poll had a 3-percentage-point margin of error in either direction based on the number of people surveyed.
Trump's popularity remains below the 40% approval rate he had just before the war started. He started his term in January 2025 with 47% approval after winning the 2024 presidential election on promises to lower costs for Americans.
WORRIES ABOUT GAS PRICES
Three-quarters of the public - including half of Republicans - think his administration bears at least a fair amount of responsibility for the gas price surge, the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll showed. Asked which political party is more responsible, 65% of poll respondents said Republicans were to blame compared to 27% who said Democrats.
Four out of five Americans said they expect gas prices to rise further.
Republicans are defending narrow majorities in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate in the midterms and strategists say they will have a better chance of keeping control if gasoline prices come down.
But with no agreement in sight between Washington and Tehran, about three in 10 Americans already expect to cut back on summer vacation plans if gas prices stay where they are, the poll found. Many expect to cancel their trips or travel shorter distances.
The latest Reuters/Ipsos poll was conducted online and gathered responses from 1,254 U.S. adults nationwide.
(Reporting by Jason Lange in Washington; editing by Scott Malone and Alistair Bell)
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