Trump softens stance on Iran, halts $4 billion annual aid to Israel after midterm losses

US President Donald Trump has made a sudden and major U-turn in foreign policy after the results of the American midterm elections. His party performed poorly, and Trump then signalled clearly that he would not take military action against Iran. He also announced an end to the $4 billion in financial aid given every year to Israel, a very close ally of the United States.

Before voting, the US administration's stance towards Iran was highly aggressive. A few hours before polling, the American military fired missiles at Iran's Qeshm island, raising military tension. But once the results were in, Trump's position changed markedly.

Speaking to international media, Trump said the US currently has no plan for a fresh military strike on Iran. He said he was confident the two countries would find a path to peace at the negotiating table. In Trump's words, "Both our countries will soon fix a date for a meeting and settle the matter through talks."

Trump had expected that the military action on Qeshm island just before the election would give the Republican Party a big political advantage. But American voters clearly rejected this politics of war. Amid growing voter anger and fear of war, the Republican Party suffered a heavy defeat, and the administration is now having to rethink its strategy.

The biggest decision in the whole episode is the halt to aid for Israel. Trump announced that the US would stop the $4 billion in direct financial aid it gives Israel every year from the end of the year. In rupees, the sum works out to an estimated more than Rs 33,000 crore. Trump said he had already spoken to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the decision.

According to Trump, "Israel is now a very strong economy and no longer needs this direct aid." He also made clear that even after direct financial aid stops, Israel will be able to keep buying weapons from the US.

The results have proved a major setback for the Trump administration. The opposition Democrats have won a clear majority in the House of Representatives, and the Republican Party's grip on the Senate has also loosened. It is reported that this is the first time in the past 50 years of American history that the balance of power in both houses of Congress has changed completely in a single midterm election.

Speaking to reporters on Tuesday night, Trump laid the blame for the party's defeat squarely on the issue of the Iran war. He said openly, "The controversy over the Iran war was largely responsible for our party's defeat." Analysts believe that fear among the American public caused by the war, and the burden of inflation, led voters to decide in favour of the Democratic Party.