Iran’s Araghchi seizes on Trump video, says US president realises most Americans are ‘disgusted with Israel’

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed Americans are “disgusted with Israel” after US President Donald Trump said growing public dissatisfaction with Israel contributed to the Republican Party’s losses in the 2026 midterm elections. Araghchi said that voters were weary of US involvement in prolonged conflicts in the Middle East and accused Israel of drawing successive American administrations into “Forever Wars.”Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, responds after Donald Trump links Republicans’ midterm losses to the Iran war and growing “dislike” of Israel among US voters. (File photos)Araghchi’s remarks came after Trump offered an unusually candid assessment of why Republicans suffered sweeping defeats in the November midterm elections, losing control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate.Also read: Trump’s Washington arch wins key approval but judge could still block construction'POTUS clearly recognizes that…'The Iranian minister did not directly address Trump’s broader comments on Iran’s nuclear programme or the US military campaign. Instead, he framed the US election setback as evidence of growing opposition to Washington’s close alignment with Israel.Posting on X shortly after excerpts of Trump’s interview with CBS News’ 60 Minutes circulated, Araghchi wrote, “POTUS clearly recognizes that the vast majority of Americans are disgusted with Israel. Strikingly, he seems confused about why that’s the case.”He continued, “Americans are evidently sick and tired of Israel bamboozling US administrations into Forever Wars. They had enough. So has our region.”‘A great dislike for Israel’During the interview with CBS correspondent Ross Douthat, Trump conceded that several issues hurt Republican candidates. He pointed to the war with Iran, higher gasoline prices and what he described as “a great dislike, incredibly, for Israel.”“But there’s something beyond that. They didn’t like the war. They didn’t like the fact that gasoline went up… and there’s a great dislike, incredibly, for Israel,” Trump said.The president also insisted his absence from the ballot played a major role in the Republican defeat.“Number one, I was not on the ballot,” Trump said, adding that supporters attended his rallies but did not necessarily transfer their support to Republican candidates. He suggested some voters disliked the candidates, while others simply stayed home.CBS News exit polls showed about 63% of midterm voters disapproved of Trump’s job performance, while 44% said expressing opposition to the president was one reason behind their vote.Also read: Trump admits deportation crackdown was ‘too tough’ after Republicans' midterm setbacksTrump defends Iran strikes despite political falloutDespite acknowledging the political cost, Trump defended his decision to launch military action against Iran earlier this year. He agreed with Vice President JD Vance’s assessment that the Iran war contributed to the Republican defeat, but said he would make the same decision again.“The one thing he left out is… if you had it to do again, would you go and attack Iran?” Trump said. “My answer is an emphatic yes, because you can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”Trump argued the decision would be judged more favourably by history than by voters in the immediate aftermath.“I think historically, this will be a very good decision. Is it a good decision for today and tomorrow? Maybe not, but I have to go with what’s right for our country,” he said.However, when asked if he plans to escalate the war since the midterms are over, Trump said, “Well, I'm not looking to. I don't think there's any reason to.”