Iran cheers Democrats’ midterm victory but fears Trump's next move

TEHRAN — The Democratic Party's capture of both chambers of Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections has given Iran's leadership an opportunity to argue that President Donald Trump's war has become a political liability for Washington. Iran's state media devoted unprecedented live coverage and rolling analysis to the results, presenting Republican losses in traditionally conservative strongholds as a repudiation of the president's Iran policy.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf went further, declaring that Americans had said no to war. Yet the celebrations may obscure a more complicated reality: The power shift could constrain Trump's domestic agenda without necessarily curbing his military options, as a weakened president facing a hostile Congress may have new incentives to demonstrate resolve abroad. The scale of the Democratic victory was striking. The party secured control of both the House of Representatives and the Senate, ending two years of unified Republican control and dealing Trump a major blow in the final two years of his presidency.

The results have been taken as a nationwide rejection of the Republican administration's record, with the war against Iran among the issues weighing on voters.