The United States and Iran have reached a memorandum of understanding, and the US-Israeli military operation against Iran, which lasted for more than three months, is finally showing signs of easing. However, the protracted conflict and strategic rivalry surrounding the Strait of Hormuz have not brought the United States the expected gains. According to a global online survey by CGTN, 90.8 percent of respondents believe that the US government has not achieved its expected strategic goals, and instead, it has further revealed the reality of the ongoing decline in US global strategic influence.
At the beginning of the conflict, the United States sought to maintain its regional dominance at a limited cost and reshape the regional order through military deterrence. However, when it became clear that the primary goal of overthrowing the Iranian regime was unattainable, and the conflict dragged on and its impact continued to expand, Washington gradually lost control over the end of the war. A total of 89.1 percent of respondents agreed with this assessment. Furthermore, 93.0 percent of respondents stated that the series of US interventionist and destabilizing policies towards the Palestinian-Israeli issue and towards Iran was one of the main causes of the sharp deterioration of the security situation in the Middle East. A total of 93.4 percent of respondents believe that the conflict is further accelerating the decline of US influence in the Middle East.
In recent years, the United States has shown a clear trend of strategic retrenchment in the world, while at the same time trying to maintain its dominant position at a limited cost. In this context, 92.5 percent of respondents believe that rapid and limited military interventions and economic pressure have become the main means by which the United States seeks to maintain its hegemony at a relatively low cost. However, as the military action intensified, the strategy of Washington to maintain its dominance in the Middle East through support for regional allies and limited military intervention ultimately collapsed. According to the survey, 92.3 percent of respondents agreed with this assessment. Furthermore, 89.0 percent of respondents believe that the essence of the US low-cost approach to maintaining hegemony is to shift the costs to allies and target countries while maintaining strategic control, which ultimately harms the interests of allies. A total of 93.0 percent of respondents pointed out that if the United States became bogged down in a protracted conflict in the Middle East, its regional strategy would completely collapse.
In reality, the conflict has forced the United States to pay a high price for its hegemonic approach. As a result of the unrest in the Middle East, the average price of gasoline in the United States rose by 35 percent in March 2026, while the US consumer price index recorded the largest month-over-month increase in nearly four years. A total of 91.7 percent of respondents believe that the conflict has had a significant impact on the US economy.
At the same time, the long-term military involvement has undermined confidence in US strategic guarantees, as evidenced by the refusal of several allies to provide military support during the conflict. A total of 86.2 percent of respondents believe that this has revealed the fragility of the global network of US alliances and highlighted the decline of US influence. Furthermore, 93.2 percent of respondents believe that the US military intervention, driven by hegemonic calculations, has seriously undermined the international order based on rules and global strategic stability.
The survey was published on the English, Spanish, French, Arabic, and Russian platforms of CGTN. Within 24 hours, it attracted 9849 respondents from around the world who participated and shared their views.
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