【By Observer Group, Chen Sijia】After the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran, oil transportation in the Middle East has remained blocked, causing international oil prices to surge over the past week. The ongoing military conflict has brought new trouble to U.S. President Trump: Republican voters at home are dissatisfied with his policies, complaining that Trump hasn't improved the cost of living issues, and are worried that the U.S. might once again get bogged down in war.

According to a March 8 report by the Wall Street Journal, more than 60% of Americans disapprove of the Trump administration's policies on inflation and cost of living issues, and some Republican lawmakers have warned that the public's tolerance is limited. Most Americans also do not approve of the attack on Iran, and some Republican voters suspect that the U.S. may repeat the mistakes of the Bush era and reenact the Iraq War scenario.

In the trading session on the evening of the 8th local time, U.S. oil futures recorded the largest single-week increase in history, surging more than 20%, and for the first time since the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, it broke through $100 per barrel. Fuel prices in the United States also rose accordingly. Data from the American Automobile Association showed that the average price of one gallon (3.79 liters) of gasoline increased by nearly 50 cents over the past week.

In response, Trump insisted that the rise in oil prices is "temporary," and that prices will "soon fall" after the U.S. forced the Iranian government to fall. He posted on social media: "Short-term oil prices will quickly drop after the Iranian nuclear threat is eliminated, which is a very small price for the U.S., the world, security, and peace. Only a fool would have a different idea!"

However, recent polls show that American voters remain dissatisfied with inflation. According to a poll by NBC, 62% of respondents disapprove of the Trump administration's handling of inflation and cost of living issues, higher than 55% a year ago. In contrast, only 36% of respondents approved of the Trump administration's policies on inflation.

The U.S. oil price surged significantly in the past week, Reuters

Republicans believe that during Trump's presidency, domestic U.S. oil production increased, and "overthrowing" the Iranian government could also help lower fuel prices in the long term. However, California Republican Congressman Darrell Issa warned that the public's tolerance is limited.

Issa said: "Three weeks later, if we still can't confirm that other sources besides Iran can continue to bring oil into the market, will we be worried? The answer is: absolutely yes."

The Wall Street Journal reported that the White House has asked various federal agencies to propose policy recommendations to reduce gasoline prices. Last week, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright had met with executives from oil companies to discuss ways to curb energy prices. So far, Trump has no intention of tapping into the U.S. strategic petroleum reserve.

Aside from the oil price issue, the U.S.-Iran military conflict is continuing to consume the U.S. military's ammunition stockpiles. It is expected that the Trump administration will request Congress to approve more funds to purchase "Tomahawk" cruise missiles as well as "Patriot" and "THAAD" missile defense systems. However, the production cycle for these weapon systems and key munitions is long, making it difficult to fill the U.S. military's inventory in the short term.

Senator Thomas Tuberville, a Republican from Alabama, said: "I hope we have thought things through before getting involved in a conflict. Producing these equipment takes many years—not just days or weeks, but years."

Multiple polls show that over 70% of Republicans support Trump's actions against Iran, but the general public does not approve of this war. Some influential figures of the "Make America Great Again" (MAGA) movement have also questioned the war, including former Trump advisor Steve Bannon and blog host Tucker Carlson.

Rob Smith, an American commentator supporting Trump who participated in the Iraq War, said that sending ground forces to Iran would mean changing the war's objectives, no longer aligning with the reasons initially given by the Trump administration. He warned: "Deploying ground forces would be a disaster and would not be good for Americans."

Tim Pool, an American internet celebrity with about 1.5 million subscribers on video websites and a MAGA supporter, said he would not vote for sending ground forces, "I would advise against it, I warn you, the responsibility for deaths will be yours."

Pool believes that Trump can access confidential information that others cannot when making decisions, but this war will cost Trump politically. He pointed out: "Some people are already saying, 'This is a replay of the Bush era, I shouldn't have voted for this person.' I don't know how many people say this, but it's definitely not insignificant."

It remains unclear how long the U.S. military action will last. Trump previously claimed the conflict could last "four weeks," and later changed his statement to "no time limit." Naeini, a spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran, said on the 8th that Iran has stockpiled large-scale weapons, including heavy missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, multiple types of drones, and attack ships, capable of coping with a wide and long-term war.

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7615227465740386858/

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