What happened
In the US, the election over which party will control the country's Congress is underway. The war against Iran and its consequences have become one of the most decisive issues for voters. Many voters are protesting against President Donald Trump's rapprochement with Russia, wanting instead to see continued military and economic support for Ukraine. At the same time, concern is growing in the Middle East that Trump will escalate acts of war as soon as the votes are counted.
Our analysis
When American politicians compete for power with war as the stake, people are forgotten. For hundreds of thousands of new Swedes with family and roots in the Middle East, including Swedish-Iranians, Trump's rhetoric is not about a political game. It is about the lives and survival of relatives under the constant threat of military escalation.
But great power politics does not stop at the borders of the Middle East. It steps right into Swedish kitchens. As Sparbanken Skåne and Øresundsinstituttet show, Swedish growth for 2026 and beyond depends on households saving less and starting to consume more, something that might not materialize if the effects of the Iran war become more tangible.
It is the ordinary population that is forced to bear the cost of warmongering through more expensive food, higher energy prices, and economic insecurity. Yet in Swedish media, the issue is most often reduced to tactics and seat distribution in Washington. We need to start examining what this aggressive foreign policy actually costs us here at home.
Explained
Congress is the legislative parliament of the US and consists of the House of Representatives and the Senate. It decides on the country's laws, budget, and approval of international military operations.