As Democrats sweep the nation and cruise to victory in this week’s midterm elections, the world’s attention is on Congress and how it will deal with the conflicts in Iran, Gaza and Ukraine since January.
The midterm elections are largely viewed as a referendum on President Donald Trump’s policies, particularly his decision to go to war with Iran in February.
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The war proved extremely unpopular in the United States, as the closure of the Strait of Hormuz caused fuel prices to rise, costing American taxpayers an estimated $47 billion so far. Several prominent Republicans, including Vice President J.D. Vance, have already moved to distance themselves from the conflict.
European leaders cautiously welcomed the results on Wednesday, expressing hope that Democratic-led lawmakers who take office in January will mend ruptured transatlantic relations and boost Washington’s support for Ukraine, which has been weakened by Russia’s aggression. President Trump blamed attacks on Russian oil facilities for the fuel crisis, withdrew support for Ukraine, and called for the resignation of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and an end to sanctions on Russian oil.
The Democratic Party not only primarily supports Ukraine, but also, unlike the Trump administration, has strongly opposed the U.S. war against Iran since the war began. While the former Biden administration did little to deter Israel in its genocidal war in Gaza, a new wave of progressive Democrats elected to power in the midterm elections are vocally opposed to the administration, as well as pogroms against Palestinian communities by Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.
On Tuesday, amid a series of defeats for Republican candidates, President Trump pledged to use his presidential veto to counter any “insane” policies by Democrats in Congress. A presidential veto can only be overridden by a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress.
So what could change and what does this mean for the conflicts in Iran, Gaza and Ukraine? Here’s what we know.
What were the election results?
Republicans suffered a crushing defeat on Tuesday, losing control of both chambers of Congress to Democrats, including traditionally conservative states such as Texas, Ohio, Iowa and Kansas that supported Mr. Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
In the 100-member Senate, Democrats currently hold 54 seats and Republicans hold 44, with two more seats expected to be confirmed. In the House, Democrats won 242 seats, far exceeding the 218 needed to control the chamber, and Republicans won 151 seats.
Democrats have governors in 28 states, while Republicans have governors in 20, two of which are yet to be declared.
There were many firsts for the Democratic Party. Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan became the first Muslim senator. Georgia voted for Keisha Lance Bottoms as its first black female governor. Gina Hinojosa became the first Latina governor of Texas, and Deb Haaland became the first female Native American governor of New Mexico.
What does this mean for the Iran war?
In this election, the US-Israel war against Iran was the biggest concern for voters. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump acknowledged that it largely contributed to the Republican Party’s staggering losses, but insisted it was worth it.
“In the short term, we’ve increased gas prices a little bit… but at the same time, if we had to do it again, we’d have to do it again because in the long term that’s the only answer. We can’t let Iran have nuclear weapons,” he told reporters.
Trump campaigned for president on promises to end U.S. involvement in foreign wars and lower the cost of living.
Since taking office in January 2025, President Trump has dragged the United States into two wars against Iran without seeking Congressional approval. Democrats tried to push back with little success, as President Trump relied heavily on executive orders to get around them. The public’s anger towards his administration is clear from the plummeting of his approval ratings. On the eve of the election, only 32% of respondents said they supported President Trump’s policies, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.
Still, President Trump remains open to further attacks or diplomatic negotiations with Iran. He has also threatened to use his veto power to frustrate Democrats.
Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer told reporters Wednesday that lawmakers have a financial advantage.
“We’re going to end wars…The Founding Fathers had the power of the purse as one of the ways to deter presidents from going to war without the consent of the American people.”
But while a Democratic-led Congress may have better control over the purse strings, limiting war funding may not be easy.
James Boys, a research fellow at the Center for American Politics at University College London, told Al Jazeera on Wednesday: “This could prove to be very problematic if troops were to go into theater, and it would be seen as putting American lives at risk.”
Analysts also said the War Powers Resolution was unlikely to succeed in reining in Trump. Previous attempts to take advantage of the 1973 federal law have either failed or been nullified.
The War Powers Resolution allows the president to repel an imminent attack, but requires military action to end within 60 days unless Congress declares war. The president can then veto the bill, but this can only be overturned by a two-thirds supermajority in both houses of Congress, something the Democratic Party does not have.
Given the weakening of the Republican Party in this election, Iran may now push the United States even harder to agree to terms to end the war.
Will a Republican defeat affect Gaza?
The Democratic Party has long been known for its pro-Israel stance. Former President Joe Biden’s administration continued military aid to Israel after Israel launched the Gaza War in October 2023, despite the massacre of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza.
But several so-called “progressive” Democratic candidates elected Tuesday stood out for their criticism of Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, Israel’s illegal settler pogroms in the occupied West Bank, and the United States’ years of unwavering financial and military support for Israel.
Abdul El-Sayed, who won Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat on Tuesday despite a vicious campaign by Republicans and the pro-Israel AIPAC super PAC, slammed the Trump administration and said he would call for a withdrawal of U.S. aid to Israel.
In an apparent attempt to appease voters on Election Day, President Trump announced on Fox News that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had suggested that the United States should cut off $4 billion in annual aid to the country.
“We have already agreed not to make any payments to Israel until the end of this year,” he said, adding: “We will support Israel if necessary.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office had no comment.
Will the US support Ukraine again?
Trump came to power promising to end the Russia-Ukraine war within “days.” But he has failed to do so, increasingly angering Ukraine and its European allies, who should bear the brunt of the financial and military support. Earlier this year, President Trump appeared to suggest that Ukraine should give up territory already occupied by Russia in order to end the war and reach a peace deal.
Last February, when Volodymyr Zelensky visited the White House, Trump called the Ukrainian president “ungrateful” in a heated exchange.
Most recently, President Trump accused Zelensky of attacking Russian oil facilities and causing a rise in global diesel prices that are hurting U.S. farmers and truckers. He also suspended sanctions on Russian oil that were passed in September with bipartisan support in Congress, drawing anger from within his own Republican Party.
During Russia’s recent attack on Kiev, Ukraine accused the United States of withholding information about incoming missiles and restricting Ukraine’s access to Elon Musk’s Starlink satellite network, which is used to guide the missiles.
The Trump administration has also delayed the transfer of much-needed weapons to Ukraine, while Trump has called on Zelensky to resign, claiming that Ukraine “doesn’t want this war to end.” Washington lifted sanctions on Russia in October and began purchasing Russian oil, alarming European leaders and drawing condemnation from Ukraine.
All of this is a complete change from the previous Biden administration, which promised that Washington would “not walk away” from Ukraine.
Ukraine now hopes the issue will be back on the agenda in January, when a new parliament convenes.
“The Democratic Party has been very clear about supporting Ukraine and supporting Ukraine,” Zelensky told German broadcaster ZDF. “They are talking about renewing the relationship between the United States and Europe… So there is an expectation that there will be a balance of power and that we will get more support.”
