Vance says the Iran war cost Republicans the election

Vice President JD Vance said on Wednesday that the war with Iran was the reason Republicans lost control of Congress in Tuesday's midterm elections.

In a post on X, Vance wrote that the reason his party lost was the war. The comment linked the conflict, which has driven up fuel prices, directly to the party's losses.

Vance's post came as President Donald Trump defended the war, while also acknowledging that frustration over gasoline prices had played a part in the results.

Financial markets reacted quickly. Oil prices fell sharply after the post, as traders bet that the political pressure would push the White House toward a deal with Iran. U.S. crude and Brent futures both dropped more than 8% on the day.

Republicans lost seats across the country, including in states that had voted Republican for decades. Exit polls showed high prices and the war among voters' main concerns.

Vance, who served as a senator from Ohio before becoming vice president, is widely seen as a possible Republican candidate for president in 2028. He did not say in the post what he believed the administration should do next about the conflict.

Democrats, who take control of both chambers in January, have said they will push to limit the president's power to wage war without approval from Congress.