US President Donald Trump has acknowledged that the war involving Iran contributed to his Republican Party’s defeat in the November 3 midterm elections, as Democrats secured control of both chambers of Congress.
Trump made the admission during separate interviews with Fox News and The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, following sweeping Democratic victories in the elections.
“I think a part of it was Iran,” Trump told Fox News, adding in a separate interview with The Wall Street Journal that “Iran was a piece of it”.
Despite acknowledging the conflict’s impact on Republican candidates, Trump defended his decision to launch military action against Iran.
“I did the right thing,” he told The Wall Street Journal. “I would have done it again.”
The war, now in its ninth month, has remained unpopular among sections of the American public, with Democratic candidates repeatedly blaming the conflict for rising petrol prices and the increasing cost of other essential goods.
During their campaigns, Democrats highlighted the economic consequences of the conflict, arguing that the financial burden was affecting American households.
Trump, however, has given varying objectives and timelines for the military campaign, at different times threatening intensified strikes against Iran while suggesting that the conflict could be brought to an end.
The Republican Party’s losses represent a major setback for Trump’s administration, with Democrats taking control of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The new balance of power is expected to give Democrats greater influence over legislation, government investigations and the president’s political agenda.
Responding to the prospect of a Democratic-controlled Congress, Trump told Fox News that he would veto legislation he considered unacceptable.
“They’ll send over things that are insane, and I’ll veto them,” he said.
He added that after months of vetoes, Democrats would eventually approach his administration to negotiate and work together.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, welcomed the American election results.
“Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message,” Qalibaf wrote on X.
The development comes as the political consequences of the Iran conflict increasingly feature in American domestic politics.
