A growing share of Americans don’t buy President z’s repeated claims that the war with Iran is winding down, according to a new opinion poll most now expect the conflict to stretch on far longer than the White House has suggested.
The findings land amid continued uncertainty over how the war ends, with senior officials unable or unwilling to offer a timeline. Asked directly about when the fighting might stop, US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz wouldn’t commit to an answer.
“I’m not going to put some kind of timeline on it,” Waltz said, stopping short of promising the war would be over before 2026 ends.
His comments came after Trump ruled out further negotiations with Iran, a move that let the conflict resume once a 60-day ceasefire extension between the two nations lapsed earlier this month.
Tensions in the region have only deepened since. A tanker struck a mine and exploded in the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend, a reminder of how exposed one of the world’s busiest shipping corridors has become.
Congress Still Split on War Powers
The latest turn of events has deepened uncertainty inside the administration itself, with few officials willing to say the war is close to ending. Meanwhile, criticism from Capitol Hill keeps building.
The Senate has so far kept War Powers resolutions seeking to rein in the president’s military authority from advancing, but cracks are showing within the Republican caucus. Several GOP senators have gone public with doubts, saying they now believe the war was a mistake from the start.
Poll Numbers Tell a Different Story Than the White House
A CBS News poll out Sunday points to eroding public trust in the administration’s read on the war. Roughly two-thirds of Americans 67%, per the survey say they want the conflict to end immediately, a clear signal that patience is wearing thin. Few respondents buy the White House’s line that the war will wrap up within days or weeks; instead, most expect it to run for several more months, if not years, as the conflict nears its five-month mark with negotiations still stalled.
Trump Honors Fallen Troops
Earlier in the week, Trump attended a dignified transfer ceremony for four American service members killed in an Iranian strike this month.
Speaking afterward, Trump claimed without offering evidence that the fallen troops had “said very strongly” that Iran must never be allowed to acquire nuclear weapons.