President Donald Trump blamed growing anti-Israel sentiment, the Iran war, and rising gasoline prices for Republicans’ sweeping midterm defeat, which handed Democrats control of both chambers of Congress. “There’s a great dislike, incredibly, for Israel,” Trump told CBS’s 60 Minutes, identifying these factors as the primary reasons for the Republican losses. Despite the political backlash, Trump insisted he would launch the Iran war again, declaring: “My answer is an emphatic yes, because you can’t let Iran have a nuclear weapon.” He maintained that US strikes had prevented Israel’s destruction. Trump also claimed Tehran backed away from a nearly completed nuclear agreement following the Democratic victories, saying: “We would’ve had a deal, except for this election.”

November 9, 2026 7:37 AM EDT Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has issued directives to end the country's state of “neither war nor peace,” signaling a possible shift toward negotiations. “We can negotiate with dignity and bring the issue to an end with dignity,” Pezeshkian said, adding that Iran should avoid war if its demands can be met through diplomacy. However, he stressed, “We will not surrender to force and bullying.”

The US has reportedly proposed partially lifting its naval blockade of Iran in exchange for reopening the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping, according to diplomatic sources cited by Eram News. The proposal also includes gradual nuclear negotiations, sanctions relief, and the phased release of frozen Iranian assets. Tehran has not yet responded and is reportedly demanding additional guarantees before entering talks.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Sunday that negotiations with Iran have made little progress, dismissing Tehran’s demands as “outrageous, ridiculous, and detached from reality.” “I have no progress to report,” Rubio said ahead of a G7 meeting in France, stressing that Washington remains far from a diplomatic breakthrough despite mediation efforts by several countries. Rubio warned that the US could launch further strikes if Iran threatens American forces or shipping, while defending President Trump’s decision to confront Tehran militarily. “A nuclear Iran would be unacceptable and dangerous not only to Israel and the Middle East, but to the entire world,” he declared, adding that doing what is necessary is not always politically popular.

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