Democrats Flip Congress, Vance Blames Iran War for GOP Losses as Oil Prices Steady

Democrats have flipped both chambers of Congress in a sweeping midterm victory, handing the party control of the legislature and reshaping the final two years of Donald Trump's presidency [278937]. The results deal a serious blow to Trump's dominance over the Republican Party, with once-safe Republican strongholds falling across the map — Democrats won Senate seats in Kansas for the first time since 1932, in Texas since 1988, and in South Carolina since 1998 [278752].

Vice President JD Vance said the Republican Party lost the elections because of the war with Iran, defending the view in a direct challenge to critics. "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 said [278918]. President Trump, meanwhile, focused on a different topic: a ballroom. Details of the ballroom remarks were not immediately clear, and the White House has not issued a formal statement on the results [278937].

Democratic control of Congress will bring greater scrutiny of Trump's handling of the Iran and Ukraine wars, though the president will keep broad powers over foreign policy [278946]. The election results have raised questions about the future of the war against Iran, with analysts discussing how the outcome could affect the conflict [279031]. The vote may open a path to diplomacy with Iran — or trigger a new military escalation [277486].

Oil prices held steady after falling about 8% in the previous session, with investors betting that the Democratic sweep could speed up efforts to end the Iran war, which has lasted for months [279073]. European natural-gas prices also fell, erasing earlier gains, as traders waited to see whether Trump will choose diplomacy with Iran or order new military strikes. Europe closely watches Iran because any conflict there could disrupt global energy supplies [279000].

The United States and Iran are reviewing proposals from recent negotiations, but significant differences remain, according to a Qatari foreign ministry spokesperson. Qatar, which has served as a mediator between the two sides, confirmed both countries are examining the proposals but did not provide details on the specific proposals or the nature of the remaining disagreements. No timeline was given for the next round of discussions [277944].

The power shift in Washington could also change how the US handles the war in Ukraine, where voters removed some of the Kremlin's most sympathetic voices from Capitol Hill — but also ousted some of the Republicans who fought hardest for Kyiv, leaving a mixed balance sheet for Ukraine [278677] [278631].