G7 allies to assess impact of Trump's midterm setback at Paris talks

G7 foreign ministers are meeting in Paris on Monday to assess if the recent US midterm defeats for President Donald Trump will change the administration's approach to the Middle East, Ukraine, and relationships with allies. Four G7 diplomats indicated that Democratic gains might limit the White House's room for maneuver, though they cautioned that foreign policy remains under Trump's control and a return to traditional multilateralism is not necessarily expected.

Regarding the midterm results, Trump told CBS's 60 Minutes that the Republican loss of control in both chambers of Congress was driven by rising gasoline prices and a growing dislike of Israel among voters, alongside the war with Iran. He argued that the conflict with Iran drove fuel prices higher, while maintaining that preventing Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons is essential. Trump also suggested his personal popularity remained strong and that Republican candidates failed to translate his support into votes.

In a phone interview with CNN, Trump stated it is highly unlikely he will order fresh attacks on Iran as long as talks to end the conflict progress, though he noted that if strikes resume, the US has identified infrastructure targets including 38 bridges. Following the interview, Trump posted on Truth Social that "Task Force Iron Gate" is in effect to crack down on the movement of sanctioned material and advanced weapons via the Caspian Sea and Tehran’s land borders.

While Trump acknowledged the Iran war was a factor in the Republican defeat, Vice President JD Vance stated on social media that "The reason we lost is the war."

Brief written by urgent.news from Al-Monitor, MyJoyOnline Ghana, Jerusalem Post — 3 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.