The Democrats’ sweeping victory in the US midterm elections puts them in a stronger position to interfere with President Donald Trump’s agenda. This includes his deeply unpopular and costly war against Iran, which could be among their first priorities.

As president, Trump will be able to veto any legislation aimed at ending the war. But the Democrats still have another powerful card up their sleeves: cutting off funding for the war.

There are caveats, however. History suggests exercising this power could trigger a political confrontation that may backfire. And even if the Democrats succeed in ending the war, they may not be able to reverse the damage it has done to the US’ global standing.

The limits of legislation

Democrats will have three main options to try to force the war against Iran to a close. Two of these, however, face significant limitations.

The first – and perhaps most obvious – option is through legislation. There are a few different ways to do this.

One approach is to pass a resolution calling for an end to the war.

Congress already attempted this in June, passing a concurrent resolution (with the support of some Republicans) that directed the president to either withdraw US forces from hostilities against Iran or seek the approval of Congress before continuing. This was done under the War Powers Resolution of 1973.

These so-called concurrent resolutions are, however, widely seen as........

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