As Democrats swept to victory in a blue wave across the United States in this week’s midterm elections, the world’s eyes turned to Congress and how it is likely to address conflicts in Iran, Gaza and Ukraine from January.
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it → sweep → January
The midterms have largely been viewed as a referendum on President Donald Trump’s policies, particularly his decision to start a war with Iran in February.
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midterms → view → February
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deniers → hop → states
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The war has proved deeply unpopular in the US, as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz caused fuel prices to soar, and as it has cost US taxpayers an estimated $47bn so far.
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it → slam → 47bn
Several prominent Republicans, including Vice President JD Vance, have already made moves to distance themselves from the conflict.
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Republicans → include → conflict
European leaders cautiously welcomed the results on Wednesday, voicing hopes that the Democrat-led lawmakers taking office in January would help mend fractured transatlantic ties and boost Washington’s waning support for Ukraine amid Russia’s invasion.
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lawmakers → welcome → invasion
Trump has withdrawn support for Ukraine, blaming strikes on Russian oil facilities for the fuel crisis, calling for the resignation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and suspending sanctions on Russian oil.
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Trump → withdraw → oil
As well as largely supporting Ukraine, Democrats have also been strongly opposed to the US war on Iran since it began, unlike the Trump administration.
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it → support → administration
While the previous Biden administration did little to deter Israel in its genocidal war on Gaza, a new wave of progressive Democrats elected to office in the midterms has loudly opposed it, as well as the pogroms against Palestinian communities by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
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wave → do → Bank
On Tuesday, as defeats to Republican candidates flooded in, Trump promised to use his presidential veto power to push back against any “insane” policies from Democrats in Congress.
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Trump → flood → Congress
Presidential vetoes can only be overturned by a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress.
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vetoes → overturn → Congress
So what’s likely to change and what does this mean for conflicts in Iran, Gaza and Ukraine?
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this → ’ → Iran
Here’s what we know:
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we → ’ → what
Republicans suffered a crushing defeat on Tuesday, losing control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate to the Democrats, including in some traditionally conservative states like Texas, Ohio, Iowa, Kansas and others which backed Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
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which → suffer → election
In the 100-seat Senate, Democrats now have 54 seats while Republicans have 44, with two more to be declared.
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Republicans → have → 44
In the House of Representatives, Democrats have won 242 seats, well above the 218 threshold needed to control the chamber, while Republicans have won 151 seats.
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Republicans → win → seats
Democrats have governors in 28 states, compared with the Republicans’ 20, with two yet to be declared.
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two → have → 20
There were many firsts for the Democrats: Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan became the first Muslim senator; Georgia voted in Keisha Lance Bottoms as the first Black female governor; Gina Hinojosa became the first Latina governor in Texas, and in New Mexico, Deb Haaland became the first female Native American governor.
What does this mean for the Iran war?
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this → be → war
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump admitted it had contributed largely to the Republicans’ spectacular losses but maintained it was worth it.
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it → admit → losses
It “drove the price of gasoline up a little bit short term … but at the same time if I had to do it again I’d have to do it again because long term it’s the only answer – you can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon
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Iran → drive → weapon
,” he told reporters.
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he → tell → reporters
Trump had campaigned for the presidency on promises to end US involvement in foreign wars and to lower the cost of living.
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Trump → campaign → living
Since he took office in January 2025, Trump has dragged the US into two wars on Iran without seeking Congress’s approval.
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Trump → take → approval
Democrats attempted to push back with little success, as Trump relied heavily on executive orders to bypass them.
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Trump → attempt → them
Popular anger at his administration is clear in his plunging ratings.
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anger → plunge → ratings
On the eve of the election, only 32 percent of respondents said they approved of Trump’s policies, a Reuters/Ipsos poll suggested.
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poll → say → policies
Still, Trump has kept the option of further strikes on Iran, as well as diplomatic talks, open.
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Trump → keep → Iran
He has also threatened to use his veto powers to frustrate Democrats.
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He → threaten → Democrats
Democrat Senator Chuck Schumer told reporters on Wednesday that lawmakers have the financial upper hand.
“We are going to end the war …
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We → tell → war
the founding fathers had the power of the purse as one of the ways of deterring a president who does war without the consent of the American people.”
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who → found → people
However, although a Democrat-led Congress may well control the purse strings, restricting funding for the war may not be straightforward.
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restricting → lead → war
James Boys, research fellow at the Centre on US Politics at University College London, told Al Jazeera on Wednesday: “With troops in theatre, this would prove to be highly problematic and be seen to be placing American lives at risk.”
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this → tell → risk
Analysts also said the War Powers Resolution is unlikely to succeed in reining Trump in.
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Resolution → say → Trump
Previous attempts to use the 1973 federal law have been defeated or rendered ineffective.
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attempts → use → law
The War Powers Resolution states that a president can repel an imminent attack, but military actions must end within 60 days unless Congress declares war.
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Congress → state → war
The president can then issue a veto, which can only be overturned by a two-thirds supermajority in both the House and Senate, something the Democrats do not have.
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Democrats → issue → House
Iran may now press harder for the US to agree to its conditions for ending the war, given the weakening of the Republican Party in this election.
uncertain
US → press → election
Will the Republicans’ losses affect Gaza?
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losses → affect → Gaza
Democrats have long been known for their pro-Israel stance.
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Democrats → know → stance
Former President Joe Biden’s administration continued military support for Israel after it launched its war on Gaza in October 2023, even as thousands of Palestinians were being slaughtered in Gaza.
But several so-called “progressive” Democratic candidates elected on Tuesday stood out for their criticism of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, the illegal Israeli settler pogroms in the occupied West Bank, and the US’s longstanding unwavering financial and military support for Israel.
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candidates → continue → Israel
…and 19 more, not listed.
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