European far right distances itself from Trump, blaming Iran war for Republicans' defeat

Following the Democratic victory in the US midterm elections, where Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress, European far-right politicians began to distance themselves from Donald Trump. According to Al-Monitor, many of these leaders had previously celebrated ideological ties with Trump and visited Washington DC, but they are now realigning while mostly avoiding direct criticism of the president.

US Vice President JD Vance stated on X/Twitter that the Republican losses were due to the war with Iran and the nation's relationship with Israel. Vance noted that the president himself had previously admitted the war with Iran was a reason for the GOP losses in an interview with the Wall Street Journal. Vance also cited pollster data suggesting voters wanted an end to the war, a focus on inflation and the cost of living, an "America First" approach, and a change in the relationship to Israel.

In response to the election results, Iranian officials attributed the Republican defeat to Washington's conflict with Tehran. Middle East Eye reports that Mohsen Rezaei, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, claimed Iran handed Trump a political defeat in Washington. Additionally, France 24 reports that Ali Nikzad, the First Deputy Speaker of the Parliament of Iran, told lawmakers that American efforts to pressure Tehran had failed.

Brief written by urgent.news from Al-Monitor, Jerusalem Post, Middle East Eye, France 24, CNBC World — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.