Analysts note that a midterm election defeat for Donald Trump increases pressure to end the war with Iran, though the risk of further military escalation remains. According to Al Jazeera, Negar Mortazavi, a senior research fellow at the Center for International Policy, stated that if Donald Trump accepts that a military victory is unattainable, a negotiated settlement could bring a relatively swift end to the war; however, if he continues to demand unconditional surrender, the standoff is likely to persist alongside a new round of military escalation.