Two weeks after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, President Donald Trump is facing mounting political pressure at home. Public concern over American casualties, rising oil prices and falling financial markets has weighed on his approval ratings, while even some supporters question his strategy and his claims that the conflict was effectively over in its first hour. Trump has criticized news coverage of the war and struggled to clearly explain how it will end.

The conflict has also disrupted global energy markets, particularly through threats to shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for a significant share of the world’s traded oil. Although Trump pledged that American naval forces would escort tankers, that effort has yet to materialize, and he has called on other nations to help secure the waterway. At the same time, his administration issued a temporary waiver easing restrictions on some Russian oil shipments, a move critics say could strengthen Moscow as it continues its war in Ukraine.

With midterm elections approaching, Democrats have united in opposition to Trump’s Iran policy, arguing that the economic turmoil contradicts promises to lower everyday costs. Some Republicans have warned that sustained high energy prices could lead to major electoral losses. The war has also exposed divisions within Trump’s political base, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the months ahead.