Following the election results, Trump said the war with Iran and rising inflation had contributed to defeats for several Republican candidates. Vice President JD Vance also attributed the party's losses to the conflict with Iran.
BBC News journalists examined how the results could affect international relations and ongoing conflicts across the world.
According to BBC News Persian senior reporter Goncheh Habibiazad, based in London, Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has dismissed suggestions that changes in American politics would alter Washington's hostility towards Iran.
Khamenei said those who believed political developments in the United States would change America's approach towards Iran were mistaken. He also warned that if the US attacked Iran again, the country's retaliation would be even more severe.
Mojtaba Khamenei assumed the position following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, who was killed in US-Israeli strikes on February 28. However, Mojtaba Khamenei has not appeared publicly for months.
His remarks were contained in a six-page message released on Wednesday to mark the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the US Embassy in Tehran.
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner described the election outcome as a setback for "Project Trump", adding that in another context, it could also be considered a setback for Arab countries in the Gulf.
President Trump and his family have personal and business relationships with several countries in the region. Dubai has a Trump International Golf Course, while Qatar gifted him an aircraft worth $400 million.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Saudi Arabia have collectively invested billions of dollars in Affinity Capital, the firm belonging to Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner.
During his first presidential term in 2017, Trump also selected Riyadh for his first overseas visit.
Saudi Arabia's relationship with former US President Joe Biden, a Democratic Party leader, was strained. In 2022, Biden was seen avoiding a handshake with the Saudi Crown Prince.
Gulf leaders had also expressed dissatisfaction with President Barack Obama after he failed to punish former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over the use of poison gas.
However, the war with Iran this year has changed perceptions of Trump among regional leaders.
Commenting on the situation, one analyst said Trump had set the Gulf region on fire.
"The situation began on February 28. Even now, there are fears that he could reignite the war. Iran retaliated, resulting in the destruction of several critical infrastructure facilities," the commentator said.
Iran's Role in the Election Results
According to BBC reporter Rebecca Pieder in Washington DC, Vice President JD Vance believes the Republican Party's major electoral defeat was caused by the war with Iran.
The conflict has contributed to rising inflation in the United States, with the impact becoming visible through higher prices at petrol stations.
During his 2024 presidential election campaign, Trump had promised to bring petrol prices below $2 per gallon. However, the average price stood at $4.31 per gallon in October 2026.
He had also promised that there would be no new wars during his second presidential term.
However, just one day before the midterm elections, the United States carried out attacks on an Iranian island. Trump subsequently told journalists that he had no regrets about starting the war.
Reacting to the election results, Iran's chief negotiator in talks with the United States said American voters had rejected the war.
However, Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said in a statement that he did not expect the election outcome to bring any change in US policy towards Iran.
Speaking to CBS News, the American media partner of the BBC, Trump said the war would end "only when I say it's over".
Russia Expects Trump to Continue Peace Efforts
According to BBC Russia editor Steve Rosenberg, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian media that Moscow fully expected Donald Trump to continue his peace efforts.
"We fully expect Donald Trump to continue his peace efforts," Peskov said.
He also indicated that another round of trilateral talks would take place soon. His remarks referred to the planned negotiations between Russia, Ukraine and the United States in Abu Dhabi next week.
Peskov further said, "We have seen the successful humanitarian peace efforts of Melania Trump."
He was referring to a recent humanitarian operation in Oleshky, which is under Russian occupation.
"We hope these efforts will continue," he added.
According to Steve Rosenberg, if the peace initiatives fail to produce results, Russia may once again blame Ukraine and Europe, as it has done previously.
Russia could also blame the Democrats and the midterm election results for any failure to make progress. However, it is unlikely to directly blame Donald Trump, given the considerable investment Moscow has made in its relationship with him.
Russia also continues to hope for expanded economic cooperation with the Trump administration.
How International Media Reacted to the Election Results
BBC Monitoring reported that for people in Ukraine, Iran and across the Middle East, the US midterm elections were less about domestic politics and more about how the results could affect ongoing wars.
In Ukraine, commentators focused on Trump's handling of the conflict. Journalist Roman Tsymbaliuk made a pointed remark about the outcome, saying, "The President resolved every war but lost his own."
The comment referred to Trump's repeated claims that he could bring conflicts around the world to an end.
Meanwhile, Russian attacks on Ukrainian power plants continue. Some people in Russia believe the Democratic Party's victory could strengthen calls for tougher sanctions against Moscow.
Others fear that political deadlock in the United States could create fresh uncertainty over Washington's policy towards Ukraine.
Russia has openly expressed its expectation that Trump will continue mediating efforts to end the war. Another round of Russia-Ukraine negotiations is expected this month.
However, Russians who support the war have warned that a Congress controlled by Democrats could block any future agreement with Russia and prevent the easing of existing sanctions.
Meanwhile, Iranian leadership circles and government-affiliated media portrayed the Democratic Party's victory as a public rejection of Trump's war policy. Iranian media highlighted the growing political cost of the military confrontation with Iran.
The election outcome has therefore raised wider questions about the future of American involvement in international conflicts, the prospects for negotiations with Russia and Ukraine, and Washington's policy towards Iran. With Democrats controlling both chambers of Congress, Trump's remaining presidential term could face a different political landscape at home, with potential consequences extending well beyond the United States.
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