Trump feels misled over Iran war, may hold officials accountable after midterm defeat

US President Donald Trump may hold members of his administration accountable for the handling of the Iran war after the Republicans suffered a major defeat in the midterm elections, with the president reportedly believing that he was given misleading information about the conflict, CNN reported on Wednesday, citing an adviser. "The bottom line is that Trump feels misled (on the Iran war) -- he was misled," the adviser told CNN. "And somebody should pay for that." Trump is said to be increasingly frustrated with the eight-month-long conflict, which he believes has damaged his party's electoral prospects.

With the midterm campaign now over, some of his allies expect the president to turn his attention towards identifying officials responsible for the political fallout. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth could be among those facing the consequences, CNN reported. Hegseth has been a vocal advocate of the military campaign against Iran and is reportedly viewed as potentially vulnerable amid speculation over changes within the administration. Reports have separately suggested that Trump has considered removing Hegseth following the Republican electoral setback. The president, however, has publicly dismissed the possibility, maintaining that the Defence Secretary is performing well.

Trump has previously described Hegseth as a "great warrior" and pushed back against Democratic attempts to force him out of office. He also recently said that Hegseth was doing a "very good job". The Iran conflict has emerged as a political liability for Trump, who had wanted to prevent the wars in Iran and Ukraine from becoming central issues during the midterm campaign. He has privately voiced dissatisfaction over the impact of the conflict on Republican candidates. Meanwhile, the administration is under pressure to bring the war to an end. While discussions have taken place around the possibility of additional military action, some of Trump's advisers believe diplomatic efforts should be given more time.

The developments have drawn comparisons with 2006, when then-President George W Bush dismissed Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld after the Republicans suffered significant losses in the midterm elections. Public opposition to the Iraq war had been one of the factors behind the party's poor performance. Whether Trump will make changes to his administration before the Iran conflict is resolved remains uncertain. (With agency inputs)