Farage fears Trump will intensify Iran war after midterm losses
The Reform UK leader warned of further strikes after Republicans lost control of Congress, while the election leaves military strategy in the president’s hands.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said he fears US President Donald Trump will intensify the war with Iran after Republicans lost control of Congress in this week’s midterm elections. Farage’s warning, reported by the BBC on Thursday, describes a risk he sees; it does not establish that Trump has decided to order more strikes.
Farage said he still considered Trump a friend but accused him of breaking a promise to American voters by launching the war. He had initially urged people to support the military action, the BBC reported. After the election, he said he worried Trump would respond with more attacks. Farage had not spoken with Trump since the results and described the Republican defeat as a “complete wipeout” and “an absolute shellacking,” according to the BBC.
Why the Iran war became an election issue
The war’s political cost was acknowledged by Trump and Vice President JD Vance. Vance blamed the conflict for the Republicans’ defeat, and Trump said Vance was “largely true” about its electoral impact. Trump also defended the decision to go to war, saying he would make it again because, in his view, it was the only long-term answer, The National reported.
Vance said a pollster he trusted had warned him that some people who voted for Trump in 2024 were angry with the administration. Those voters wanted the war ended, action on inflation and living costs, and a change in the US relationship with Israel, Vance said, according to The National. The comments point to the political pressures behind Farage’s concern, while offering no confirmation of what Trump will do next.
What Democrats can do from Congress
Democrats’ control of both chambers will give them more power to scrutinize the administration’s Middle East policy and could make it harder to secure money for the war, The National reported. Democrats are due to take control in January. The outlet cited Atlantic Council Eurasia Centre director John Herbst, who said officials in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar remained anxious about renewed conflict with Iran.
The election does not give Democrats control of the White House or authority to dictate military strategy. Trump remains commander-in-chief and can veto legislation, The National reported. Congress may scrutinize policy and funding, but the extent to which it will constrain the war—and whether Trump will order further strikes—remains unclear.
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Sources and context
- Farage says he is worried Trump will step up Iran war after midterm 'disaster'BBC News
- Iran war cost Republicans the midterms, Trump admits, as Democrats consider Middle East policyThe National
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.