As Mideast war rages on, US democrats voted to cut aid to Israel

The war in the Middle East started with an attack on Iran in late February. And the world has changed in ways that the US and Israel may not have foreseen.

SAM MENDICK, The Associated Press: "It’s been 6 months since Israel and the United States attacked Iran. The goal in part to change the Middle East through military force. Now while the Middle East has changed, it’s not in the way they had hoped. Iran has survived the assassination of its top leaders and weeks of bombing and has found leverage in effectively shuttering the Strait of Hormuz."

Iran also trained its missiles and drones on Gulf nations hoping to stay out of war, responding to attacks by striking U.S. bases and critical energy infrastructures, showing threats of attack on electricity and water.

The U.S. President Donald Trump agreed to a ceasefire and signed a deal with Iran in June, but lost his commitment within weeks.

While Iran is struggling economically, the religious leadership is still intact.

In his message to mark Iran’s Government Week, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei says social cohesion must remain a central priority for the government, declaring actions that undermine national unity are prohibited.

In a state television interview, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says Tehran would stay committed and bring security to the Middle East, as long as the U.S. stays committed to the earlier deal. He also calls for strengthening of diplomacy within the region, saying it is an imperative principle to have a good relationship with neighboring countries.

While Iran remains relatively intact, the view of many in the US towards Israel has changed. More than half of House Democrats voted to cut aid to Israel, as critics accused Israel of leading the US into another Mideast War.

As the war settled into a stalemate, outspoken critics of Israel won some key Democratic primaries in the US, potentially rocking the midterms and affecting Donald Trump’s rule for the second half of his second term in office.