US-Iran conflict and gasoline prices shape November election climate

Eight months ago, President Donald Trump announced a "massive and continuous" military campaign against Iran, carried out jointly with the Israeli government. The operation, named Epic Fury, has now lasted eight months and is affecting the US presidential election scheduled for November 3.

According to the latest Reuters/Ipsos poll, 63 percent of respondents disapprove of how Trump is handling the Islamic Republic matter, while only 25 percent approve. The same survey found that 61 percent of Americans disapprove of the bombings in Iran, compared with 34 percent who approve.

“Only I want freedom for the people.”

Iliana Rodríguez Santibáñez, an international law professor at Tec de Monterrey's Mexico City campus, said the war has become an important factor for understanding the political climate surrounding the elections. She noted that an international conflict that might once have seemed distant has entered Americans' daily lives.

Early voting took place on Halloween, with some people casting ballots in costumes. Trump told members of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, armed forces, and police to lay down their weapons or face certain death, offering total immunity to those who comply.

Elliott Abrams, Trump's former special representative for Iran and now a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, pointed to the economic impact voters perceive. The conflict is influencing household budgets through rising gasoline prices ahead of the vote.