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. 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. 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.
Several prominent Republicans, including Vice President JD Vance, have already made moves to distance themselves from the 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. Trump has withdrawn support for Ukraine, blaming strikes on Russian oil facilities for the fuel crisis, calling for the resignation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and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.
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. 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. 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.
Presidential vetoes can only be overturned by a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress. So what’s likely to change and what does this mean for conflicts in Iran, Gaza and Ukraine? Here’s what we know: 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.
In the 100-seat Senate, Democrats now have 54 seats while Republicans have 44, with two more to be declared. 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. Democrats have governors in 28 states, compared with the Republicans’ 20, with two yet to be declared.
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. The US-Israel war on Iran was top of voters’ minds in this election. 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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