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Vance blames Iran war for Republican midterm losses

Published

Ongoing: US mid-terms Hot

US Vice-President JD Vance questioned in a post on X whether the Iran war was worth its cost. Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the midterm elections, and Vance said the war was the reason Republicans lost.

President Donald Trump said Vance's remarks were good, but he defended the war. He said the US stopped Iran from having a nuclear weapon and that he would do it again. He also said the war was only one of several reasons for the defeat.

US officials said renewed combat against Iran is still under consideration. A source familiar with the deliberations said Trump plans to bomb Iran and held off because of the midterms. A US intelligence official and two other officials said new strikes would not change Tehran's negotiating position or lead to regime change.

A person familiar with the matter said Vance's comments could be seen as the start of his 2028 campaign. A White House official said most senior staff were caught off guard by the post. Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, replied to Vance on X and mocked the vice-president for being unable to walk away from the table.

Key facts

Who
JD Vance (US vice-president); Donald Trump (US president); Pete Hegseth (US defence secretary); Marco Rubio (US politician, possible 2028 rival to Vance)
What
In a post on X, Vance questioned whether the Iran war was worth its cost and said it was the reason Republicans lost the midterms. Trump said Vance's remarks were good but defended the war, and US officials said renewed combat against Iran is still under consideration.
When
5 November 2026
Where
United States, Iran, Israel
Status
Reported

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US Vice-President JD Vance said in a post on X that the Iran war was the reason Republicans lost the midterm elections, and he questioned whether it was worth the cost. Democrats won the Senate with a majority of at least 54-44 and gained at least 30 House seats, according to one count, and party leaders said they would rein in President Donald Trump.

Trump said the war was needed to stop Tehran getting a nuclear weapon, though he admitted it contributed to his party's losses. Earlier, projections showed Democrats winning both chambers on 3 November, and exit polls showed voters angry about high prices and the direction of the country.

Before the vote, US forces struck Qeshm Island in Iran, and Trump said a deal with Iran could happen while also threatening to resume strikes.

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