President Donald Trump's ambassador to the United Nations declined Sunday to provide any timeline for ending the Iran war, a conflict now approaching its seventh month despite Trump's earlier prediction that it would be over within weeks. Mike Waltz's comments come as a new NBC News poll found widespread skepticism toward the conflict, with 62 percent of voters saying the war has not been worth it and 57 percent saying they would be less likely to support candidates who back it. The findings arrive amid growing Republican unease over the war's political costs, particularly in competitive midterm races.
Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment on Sunday. Appearing on CNN's State of the Union, Waltz was pressed on reports that senior White House officials have privately discussed the possibility that the Iran war could continue for years. "I wouldn't necessarily put a timeline on it," Waltz said.
The comments stood in contrast to Trump's earlier insistence that the conflict, launched on February 28, would be resolved within "four or five weeks." Waltz argued that U.S. economic pressure and the naval blockade against Iran were working and said time remained on the administration's side. His remarks came amid a worsening regional situation. Iran warned Sunday that any new U.S. attack would trigger sustained retaliation against American interests, while Iran-backed Houthi forces escalated attacks in Saudi Arabia and near the strategically important Bab al-Mandab shipping corridor.
Trump struck a different tone Wednesday, telling supporters in North Carolina: "That war is going to end very soon. Watch, you just watch." The new NBC News poll suggested the war remains a political liability for Republicans. Among the survey's most notable findings: The war appears to be contributing to Republicans' broader political challenges ahead of the November midterms.
The poll found Trump's approval rating at 41 percent, while 56 percent disapproved of his job performance. Fifty-five percent said Trump's policies had hurt the economy. The survey also found that 43 percent of voters said their congressional vote was intended to signal opposition to Trump, compared with 27 percent who said it was intended as a signal of support.
NBC said that was the highest such figure recorded in its pre-midterm polling over the past three decades. The administration is also facing visible signs of dissent inside Republican ranks. On Tuesday, seven House Republicans joined Democrats in voting for a resolution seeking to restrict further military action against Iran absent congressional authorization.
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