US President Donald Trump's approval rating has fallen to 33% in a new Reuters/Ipsos poll, matching the lowest level recorded during his first term in December 2017 and marking the weakest point of his current presidency. Some 64% of respondents said they disapproved of Trump's performance, while just 3% offered no opinion. The poll surveyed 1,116 Americans over four days.

The primary driver of the collapse in public support appears to be the ongoing US-Israeli war against Iran, which began in February after Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched military action aimed at preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Trump had initially assured the public the conflict would last only four to five weeks, but nearly six months on, Iran continues to maintain effective control of the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway through which a significant share of the world's oil and gas exports flow from Gulf states. A ceasefire agreed in June collapsed, and on Monday Trump publicly threatened to strike Oman, a US ally that has been serving as a mediator in the conflict, in what observers described as a sign of deepening frustration.

The economic consequences of the war are weighing heavily on American households. Petrol prices have risen by nearly a third compared to a year ago, according to the American Automobile Association, directly contradicting Trump's campaign pledge to keep inflation in check. At a rally on Friday, Trump sought to reframe the sacrifice, telling supporters that paying