As the United States and Israel launched military strikes on Iran and killed the country’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei– actions both countries claim were necessary to counter the threat posed by what they call an “Iranian terrorist regime”, Americans have doubts about President Donald Trump’s handling of the situation.
According to a recent poll by CNN, 59 per cent of Americans disapprove of Trump’s decision to order a military operation against Iran. The poll also revealed that 60 per cent of Americans think Trump doesn’t have a clear plan for handling the Iran situation.
Additionally, 62 per cent are of the view that the US President must seek Congressional approval before taking further military action.
This is not the only survey that paints a sobering picture for the Trump Administration. Another survey reveals that only one in four Americans approves of US strikes on Iran.
The same survey also claims that half of Americans, including one in four Republicans, believe Trump is too willing to use military power.
When Trump waged war against Iran alongside Israel, he urged Iranians to topple the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei-led clerical regime in the country, implying that the US operation is about regime change.
However, after Khamenei’s death on the very first day, his administration said that the aim of the operation was to destroy Iran’s ability to build a nuclear weapon.
Will Iran become Vietnam and Afghanistan for Trump?
With questions being raised over US goals in Iran, comparisons are being drawn to earlier wars with Vietnam and Afghanistan.
Both wars began with clearly defined military objectives but they eventually evolved into prolonged conflicts marked by unclear goals, rising casualties and public fatigue.
In the Vietnam War, US had to withdraw after 58,000-plus troop casualties and intense domestic protests.
In the post-9/11 war in Afghanistan that started in 2001, US-led NATO coalition suffered thousands of casualties and spent trillions of dollars but still failed to end the insurgency. Taliban captured power shortly after US withdrew troops from the territory.
In both cases, initial success gave way to questions about strategy, Congressional oversight and exit plans.
The findings of these abovementioned polls mirror the public scepticism that grew during America’s two longest wars and raise questions about whether Iran, which is a far more powerful adversary than Vietnam and Afghanistan, could become a similar challenge for Trump.