&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "100 victory claims, 200+ days of war: Is Trump's Iran gamble turning into a midterm nightmare?")
215 days and counting — that's how long US President Donald Trump's war on Iran, launched in conjunction with Israel, has been going on. Over the course of the ongoing conflict, multiple times it seemed like a ceasefire was within reach, but the hostilities have continued unabated. Since February 28, oil prices have reached record highs, market performance has been suffering, inflation is high, yet the Trump administration continues to put on a show of confidence, strength and victory. According to analyses and digital trackers, in the 200+ days, US President Donald Trump has claimed victory (or asserted that the US has won the Iran conflict) at least 100 times. But, with the US 2026 midterm elections fast approaching, the claims of victory don't seem to be translating into support for the Republican president.
Iran conflict: A 'doomsday war' for Trump's party in US midterms?
After seven months of war, Iran recently, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, put forward seven conditions for ending hostilities and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the vital route that accounts for a fifth of the world's oil and gas exports. The so-called seven-day plan saw stock markets stabilise while oil slipped on optimism of de-escalation.
The relief, however, was short-lived as Trump dismissed the plan and mused about full-scale air strikes on Iran. Talking to Axios, the POTUS claimed that Tehran had "overplayed their hand".
"They want to make a deal, but it is not the deal that I want to make," Trump said. "It is what we would have maybe agreed to a year ago."
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What did the 7-day de-escalation plan propose?
Days 1 to 5: All military hostilities in the region, including in Lebanon and Yemen, would halt. The United States would lift naval blockades on Iranian ports, waive sanctions on Iranian oil sales, and release at least $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets.
Day 6: Normal maritime passage through the Strait of Hormuz would resume without tolls.
Day 7: Comprehensive diplomatic negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear programme and other mutual issues would officially begin.
US midterms, Iran war and Trump
Trump's approval rating, as per reports, is at a record low. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released in September put the second-term president's approval rating at a new low of 32 per cent, while Democrats led Republicans by eight points among registered voters asked which party they would support for Congress.
The poll results also show that only 34 per cent of Americans support Trump's handling of the Iran war, and just 17 per cent approve of his handling of the cost of living.
Another poll by CNN/SSRS also showed similar results. According to it, only about one in four Americans approve of his administration's handling of the conflict with Iran, and a majority say the conflict has hurt the United States. The poll, conducted among 1,206 US adults from September 16 to 17, found that 26 per cent approve of Trump's handling of the situation in Iran, while 73 per cent disapprove. That is down from 33 per cent approval in a CNN/SSRS poll conducted in March, shortly after the conflict began.
With Democrats opening a sizable lead on the congressional ballot, Republicans in competitive contests have also been increasingly putting daylight between themselves and the president -- on immigration, the Iran war and even in the branding of their campaigns.
How badly the conflict would harm Republican performance in the midterms remains to be seen. Trump's rejection of the de-escalation plan may spell doom for him yet. Iran, meanwhile, according to its Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, stands "fully prepared" to ready for “doomsday war.”
