Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed Americans are “disgusted with Israel” after US President Donald Trump said growing public dissatisfaction with Israel contributed to the Republican Party’s losses in the 2026 midterm elections. Araghchi said that voters were weary of US involvement in prolonged conflicts in the Middle East and accused Israel of drawing successive American administrations into “Forever Wars.”
CBS News exit polls showed about 63% of midterm voters disapproved of Trump’s job performance, while 44% said expressing opposition to the president was one reason behind their vote. The Iranian minister did not directly address Trump’s broader comments on Iran’s nuclear programme or the US military campaign. Instead, he framed the US election setback as evidence of growing opposition to Washington’s close alignment with Israel. “But there’s something beyond that. They didn’t like the war. The president also insisted his absence from the ballot played a major role in the Republican defeat. He suggested some voters disliked the candidates, while others simply stayed home. “The one thing he left out is… if you had it to do again, would you go and attack Iran?
They didn’t like the fact that gasoline went up… and there’s a great dislike, incredibly, for Israel,” Trump said. “Number one, I was not on the ballot,” Trump said, adding that supporters attended his rallies but did not necessarily transfer their support to Republican candidates. He agreed with Vice President JD Vance’s assessment that the Iran war contributed to the Republican defeat, but said he would make the same decision again. Trump said. “My answer is an emphatic yes, because you can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon.”
Despite acknowledging the political cost, Trump defended his decision to launch military action against Iran earlier this year.
