Trump left with ‘no good options’ to end Iran war following crushing US midterms defeat

South China Morning Post · Fan Chen · 2026-11-06 13:12 UTC

Analysts warn a hobbled White House faces an intractable deadlock, with neither diplomacy nor escalation offering a viable exit.

As Republican losses in the US midterm elections highlight how unpopular the war in Iran is, all eyes are on Washington’s next moves and whether the election results could set the stage for a quicker end to the conflict.

However, experts remain sceptical, arguing that while the results will cripple the Trump administration and force it to rethink its strategy, they leave the broader US position unchanged, making a protracted war far more likely than diplomatic talks.

Democrats seized full control of the US Congress on Tuesday after a devastating defeat for Republicans, flipping deep-red states, including Texas and Kansas, that backed US President Donald Trump in the 2024 election.

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