Trump’s Midterm Defeat Shakes Middle East As Hezbollah Celebrates ‘Earthquake In America’

The shockwaves of President Donald Trump’s midterm defeat are being felt far beyond Washington, with Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem describing the result as an “earthquake” that has shaken America and changed the balance of power in the Middle East.

Trump’s Republican Party suffered massive losses in last week’s elections, in which the Democrats seized control of Congress in a result that has stunned the White House and its allies abroad.

The president himself has admitted that the war he launched with Israel against Iran in February was a key factor in the defeat, a confession that has now been seized upon by his opponents in the region.

In Beirut, Qassem wasted no time in celebrating the outcome, telling his supporters in a live broadcast that a new chapter had opened for Lebanon and for all those confronting the United States.

“Today, we have a good opportunity. Trump was defeated in the elections… an earthquake has occurred in America,” Qassem said.

“The one confronting Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen… has lost,” he added, arguing that Trump could “no longer continue as is”.

“His defeat has ramifications for us that are in a way positive.”

Trump And Netanyahu Both Pay Price For War

Qassem went further to link Trump’s defeat to the political collapse of Israeli caretaker Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who he said has also “been broken” after losing in a recent election.

Netanyahu’s bloc fell well short of the 61 seats it needed to stay in power in the October 27 vote, and the Israeli president has since tasked his rival Gadi Eisenkot with trying to form a government.

For Qassem, the twin defeats prove that the war launched against Iran and its allies has backfired badly for both Washington and Tel Aviv.

He argued that voters in America and Israel are tired of endless wars, rising casualties, and economic pressure, and have now punished the leaders who pushed for confrontation.

Hezbollah officials say the results show that resistance movements in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen and Iran have survived months of intense bombardment and are still standing.

Hezbollah Still Refuses To Disarm

Hezbollah, which once dominated political life in Lebanon, has been weakened by two wars it waged against Israel since 2023.

Most recently, the group drew Lebanon into the broader Middle East war in March by attacking Israel, which responded with massive airstrikes and a ground invasion that Lebanon says have killed more than 4,300 people.

Israel continues to occupy swathes of southern Lebanon, despite repeated calls for a full withdrawal and a return to the ceasefire terms.

Lebanon and Israel concluded a framework agreement in June under US auspices, providing for the gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces and the disarmament of Hezbollah, but its implementation has stalled.

Qassem reiterated on Wednesday that he refused to disarm his group before an Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon.

He insisted that Hezbollah will keep its weapons as long as Israeli troops remain on Lebanese soil, warning that disarmament without withdrawal would leave Lebanon defenceless.