President Donald Trump's war with Iran has only begun, but early polling indicates he'll face an uphill battle convincing voters that his recent strikes follow his America-first agenda.

The United States and Israel began the campaign that killed the nation's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and dozens of top officials early Feb. 28. More than 1,000 people have since been killed. Iran’s counterattacks have killed at least six U.S. servicemembers and have led to several U.S. Embassies closing in the region.

Within 48 hours after the attacks, just 27% of Americans approved in a Reuters/Ipsos survey, while 43% disapproved. Other polling shows the war is similarly unpopular as the days have gone on.

So we asked you, our readers, to give us your initial impressions and fears about Trump's moves in the Middle East. While many of you are wary of another forever war, particularly at the hands of this particular stable genius, many of you also see the logic in the president's solution to a problem that has spanned many presidencies with little to no movement.

You can read a collection of those responses in the Forum feature below. Look for more opportunities to weigh in at usatoday.com/forum, leave us a voicemail at (202) 655-3923 or drop us a note at forum@usatoday.com

President Trump did what he had to do to keep us safe

I agree with his approach. President Donald Trump doesn't want war, but he will not tolerate the fact that certain countries wish us harm.

We can't wait for Congress. They get paid for doing nothing for the people they serve; they are a joke, to be nice about it. We have an ongoing shutdown concerning the Department of Homeland Security.

I am concerned about any deaths, but this is what we have to do to stay safe. The Iranians are taught to hate Americans. They say America is the "Great Satan" and Israel a little Satan.

Yes, Iran's nuclear program is scary; the Iranians have no real leader who isn't off in his understanding of their place in the world order. We must live in this world without the influence of a cleric who rules by Allah.

Of course, I am concerned about oil and gas prices, although we had four years of President Joe Biden's high gasoline prices and open illegal immigration. If I have to pay more, so be it to take out the chance of not being alive.

— Patricia Bassi, Arizona

We'll all pay the price for Trump's chaos

Trump is chaotic, driven by emotions and is unsuitable by reason of character, ethics and morality to sit in the White House. He has no sense of history, no sense of diplomacy, no sense of how the USA developed the post-World War II world. His policy of "America First" is actually America last, with only 4% of the world‘s population. We are at peril.

The Authorization for Use of Military Force, under which Trump has assumed authority, should have ceased in effect years ago. Trump acts solitarily and is driven by a transactional mind. Who knows what his real motivation was for attacking Iran? Was the reason he tore up the original nuclear agreement with Iran that had been initiated by President Barack Obama, and he has been driven to erase any aspect of Obama and his administration?

The Iranian regime has prepared its military for wars of attrition, learning lessons from the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s. Its military command structure is dispersed but deep, so this will not be a short war lasting weeks.

This will impact energy cost around the world. And because of the reliance on two critical nations' energy supply, who knows where this will go?

The lesson learned in the difference between North Korea and Iran is this: Get nuclear weapons first. I believe we are right to limit Iran’s access to nuclear weapons. This attack seems to be premature.

Gasoline prices are going to go through the roof; natural gas prices for Europe are going to increase dramatically. Crude oil costs are going to go up. And crude oil and its byproducts go into literally thousands of consumer products. We will see inflation increase.

— Bruce Andrews, Colorado

Trump is finally handling what other presidents refused to

The president is addressing long-term challenges that have been identified but ignored by several prior administrations. Every situation is different. I support the action against the ayatollahs and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. I hope the Iranian people will succeed.

The president had senior congressional leadership briefed before Feb. 28. Yes, a formal declaration of war would have been better, but it is 2026, not 1941. Technology has changed communication speed forever.

Iranian leaders were the worst. For example, without Iran's backing, Hezbollah could well fall to the legitimate Lebanese government. The same might happen in Yemen. Kurds could finally get their freedom, etc.

Pakistan is the obvious problem, and to a lesser degree in 2026, North Korea. I don’t expect other Middle Eastern countries to pursue nuclear weapons. Turkey might be the lone exception.

I hope the outcome will be a lowering of the fifth-column threat from jihadists who have infiltrated the United States over the past few decades. I am not concerned about energy. We have abundant resources – including new-generation nuclear plants over the coming years.

— Rick Gordon, Florida

Apparently, Trump didn't master the 'Art of the Deal' with Iran

Trump is a man of limited intellectual ability, driven by spur-of-the-moment transactional decisions based on what strokes his ego. He has no idea what he is doing in the Middle East or the consequences he has unleashed for the United States and its citizens for the next century.

In 2013, Trump tweeted: “Remember that I predicted a long time ago that President Obama will attack Iran because of his inability to negotiate properly – not skilled!”

Well, it looks like Mr. "Art of the Deal" attacked Iran because he could not negotiate properly.

Part of my cynical self also thinks that this attack on Iran is only about Trump wanting to deflect the public attention away from the Epstein files and the crushing weight of rising prices that the average American suffers under. He is willing to sacrifice the lives of U.S. service personnel to deflect criticism away from his poor decisions.

Only Congress has the power to formally declare war. Trump has again gone outside the authority of the executive branch to do what he wants, regardless of his oath to uphold the Constitution. He should have vetted his reasons with Congress and allowed for a congressional declaration of war.

We are only seeing the beginning; the stage for a much wider, protracted war is set. It is easy to let loose the dogs of war but it can be difficult to control where they go! There will be U.S. casualties abroad and here at home.

I expect the attack on Iran will drive oil prices much higher, in turn driving the cost of delivering all kinds of goods higher; we will see inflation spike. For us senior citizens, it will drive the affordability of daily living to heights we can’t reach. There is no question in my mind that Iran, right now, is activating sleeper cells in America, sending in new cells along with assassination teams designed to kill U.S. citizens and high-ranking government officials.

Trump's decision to kill the Iranian supreme leader has opened the door for the free-will killing of Americans everywhere. I fear for my kids and grandkids in the Seattle area becoming cannon fodder for Iranian suicide attackers in major metropolitan areas.

— Larry Jaquish, Washington

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