Israel Keeps Highest Military Alert Ahead of US Midterm Elections Amid Iran Concerns

Midterms and Iran

The United States headed into its midterm elections with all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 Senate seats up for contest, and Global Times said the result may sway Mideast trajectories. Global Times described Americans voting at early voting stations in Seattle on November 1, 2026 ahead of the November 3 vote, while it said Republicans were fighting political history as the party in power in Washington has traditionally lost seats during midterm election years. Israel maintained the highest state of military alert on Monday, a day before the US midterm elections, amid concerns over a possible resumption of war with Iran.

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Walla reported that more than 3,000 US troops were stationed in Israel, and Israeli military assessments suggested the likelihood of a US preemptive strike before the midterm elections remained low. Intelligence agencies feared Tehran could stage a large-scale military provocation that might influence the US midterm elections, and coordination between Israel and the US reached its highest levels.

Reporting for this section@globaltimesnewsMiddle East Monitor

Economic grievances and polls

US President Donald Trump’s Republicans entered Tuesday’s midterm elections facing a potentially punishing voter verdict, with approval rating standing at just 32% in a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll. Democrats led the national congressional ballot by more than eight percentage points, and the nonpartisan Cook Political Report projected Democratic gains of 12 to 25 House seats. Steven Okun, chief executive of APAC Advisors, said, "I would certainly predict, and I have been for a while, it will be a wave election," as he linked the backlash to economic grievances.

An October AP-NORC survey found 85% of voters considered the economy among their most important election issues and 64% cited the war with Iran. Marisol, a single mother of Mexican origin, said, "I voted for Trump, but the other day I voted for someone else," and it linked her change to rising prices and gasoline costs.

Reporting for this sectionAsia TimesRFI

Congressional leverage

The outcome of the midterm elections was framed as a test of how much leverage Democrats could gain over Trump’s Middle East agenda, with Al Jazeera’s description of the stakes centered on whether Congress could constrain his ability to wage war with Iran.

Republicans currently held a 218-214 edge in the House of Representatives and a 53-47 majority in the Senate, and it said those narrow margins meant a handful of races could determine whether Trump faced a Congress controlled by his party or an opposition with subpoena power.

Trump’s June request included $87.6 billion, with $21 billion for arms used against Iran and $17.3 billion for operational costs, while Sen. Patty Murray opposed “rubberstamping a request to bankroll this war and whatever other misadventures Trump wants to get us into next.”

Democratic lawmakers could gain control of congressional committees and launch hearings, while a Democratic takeover could make it harder for Trump to finance the war with Iran because appropriations bills have to start in the House.

The midterm results may significantly reshape the current administration's domestic policy operating environment over the coming two years, while it said the repercussions were concentrated in the Middle East.

Reporting for this sectionالحرة@globaltimesnews