Top Democrats Pledge An End To Iran War Following Big Election Win

Democratic leaders said they want the Iran war to end, demanding that the administration take immediate steps to bring the conflict to a conclusion after the GOP's electoral rout.

"One of the first things that needs to happen now, not even waiting until we get to January 3rd of the new Congress...is that the president and the administration should end this reckless and costly war of choice in Iran," Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries said in an interview with CNN.

Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer echoed the sentiment. "We are going to end the war," he said at a news conference in Washington, D.C. "We have some Republicans already who have joined us in ending the war, and the Founding Fathers had the power of the purse as one of the ways of deterring a president who does war without the consent of the American people."

The comments came after historic gains for Democrats in Tuesday's midterm elections, which gave them significant majorities in the House and the Senate.

President Trump began the Iran war in February without Congressional authorization. He has said that the war was justified and that he had the power to wage it to stop Iran from getting nuclear weapons. However, the joint U.S. and Israel action did not focus solely on military and strategic targets.

In the opening phase of the war, Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed, as were top advisers and military leaders. Although the president said the war was defensive, this action suggested that one of the goals of the conflict was regime change. But that did not happen.

The war led to hostilities throughout the Middle East, as Iran lashed out at neighboring countries and U.S. forces in the region. Iran also attacked shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world's oil supply traveled. The chaos disrupted supply chains, specifically driving up the costs of gas and fertilizer.

The House passed a resolution calling for an end to the conflict in June. In September, the Senate passed a similar measure, with seven Republicans supporting it. Although largely symbolic, it is indicative that some Republicans had become wary of the conflict.

Vice President JD Vance acknowledged in a post on X that the Iran war was a significant factor in the midterm election.

"The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night. If you'd like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so," Vance wrote on X. "Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. Agree or disagree, that's at least honest."