'I think a part of it was Iran': Trump acknowledges war's impact on midterm election losses

The prices of goods and petrol have risen in the US as a direct result of the unpopular war in Iran, and played a role in the Democrats gaining control of the Senate and House of Representatives US President Donald Trump speaks during a round table at the White House in Washington, DC, US, 21 October 2026 (Kevin Lamarque/ Reuters) Published date: 4 November 2026 11:37 GMT | Last update: 1 min 44 sec ago US President Donald Trump acknowledged on Wednesday that the war on Iran played a part in the Republican party’s sweeping midterm election losses. Democrats won control of the House of Representatives and the Senate, with politicians who had campaigned on their opposition to the war scoring notable victories. In separate interviews reflecting on the reasons behind his party’s heavy defeats, Trump said: “I think a part of it was Iran… Iran was a piece of it.” Nevertheless, the US president stood by his decision to join Israel in attacking Iran, which also went against the “no new wars” messaging of his 2024 presidential campaign. “I did the right thing,” Trump told the Wall Street Journal. “I would have done it again.” New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The US and Israel went to war with Iran at the end of February, after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had reportedly presented Trump with intelligence from Mossad convincing him that doing so would lead the Iranian people to rise up and overthrow their government. Cost of living But despite killing a slew of Iranian leaders, including former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, the government in Tehran has remained intact and the Iranian military has seized control of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, sending oil prices skyrocketing across the globe. The attendant rise in the cost of petrol and other goods at home in the US was a theme of the Democrats’ messaging, with candidates across the country blaming the war for the high cost of living. Speaking to Middle East Eye’s Rhana Natour, Abbas Alawieh, founder of the Uncommitted Movement and candidate for the Michigan State Senate, says voters lost trust in Democratic leadership in 2024 because they were out of touch with ordinary working people in America. https://t.co/U2Jf5dukKs— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) November 4, 2026 Trump has chopped and changed his stated priorities for the war, which has remained consistently unpopular with Americans. Asked after the midterm results about reports that he was considering using a nuclear weapon on Iran, Trump said: “I don’t need it, we’ve knocked them out already, 90 percent.” In Tehran, the US election results were met with satisfaction. “Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message,” Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Wednesday on X. Middle East Eye delivers independent and unrivalled coverage and analysis of the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. To learn more about republishing this content and the associated fees, please fill out this form. More about MEE can be found here.