Democrats Midterm Win Tests Trump Iran Policy

Democrats’ Midterm Victory Could Complicate Trump’s Iran Policy

November 10, 2026

2 minute read

The Democrats midterm win leaves the party better placed to challenge President Donald Trump’s agenda, including the costly Iran war, which an analysis in The Conversation describes as deeply unpopular with American voters. Trump can veto any bill that ends the war, so Democrats would need a two-thirds majority in both chambers to override him.

Democrats Midterm Win Raises Pressure on Trump’s Iran War

Congress already tried a concurrent resolution in June, with some Republican support, but such resolutions are widely seen as non-binding, and Trump ignored it. A similar measure then failed in the Senate in September.

Power of the Purse and the Limits of Confrontation

The most direct tool is the power of the purse. Once the new Congress is sworn in in January, a defence budget clause could bar funds for hostilities against Iran, although Trump could veto it and accuse Democrats of leaving troops unpaid.

A similar attempt over Iraq in 2007 ended when Democrats backed down amid fears of voter backlash. Trump has acknowledged that the war played a role in the Republican defeat but says he would act the same way again, while Vice President JD Vance said bluntly that the war was the reason the party lost.

Regional Stakes and Pakistan’s Diplomatic Role

The US has spent almost $50 billion on the campaign, and Iran has shown that it can influence the Strait of Hormuz, while Houthi attacks have affected shipping near the Bab al-Mandeb. These costs are likely to outlast any single presidency.

For Pakistan, which has kept channels open with both Washington and Tehran, as covered in Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir spoke to Trump ahead of Tehran visit, a shift in Washington could widen the space for diplomacy. Steady mediation would help protect the shipping routes and energy prices on which Pakistan depends.