Iran's Supreme Leader says US policy will not change after Trump’s midterm loss

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a written statement on his website warning that hopes for a change in United States policy toward Tehran are "seriously mistaken." He said any expectation that partisan shifts in Washington could alter the "hegemonic system" or that concessions to the United States would reduce hostility toward Iran is unfounded. Khamenei added that Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz has undermined the perception of American invincibility and cautioned that any renewed U.S. attack would expand into a broader conflict. The remarks were made on the anniversary of the 1979 seizure of the U.S. embassy, which Iran marks as the “National Day of the Fight Against Global Arrogance.”

President Donald Trump, speaking on Fox News, attributed his party’s poor midterm performance to higher gasoline prices rather than the ongoing conflict with Iran. He suggested that some advisers were urging a "heavy hit" on Iran but noted that many were opposed to such action. Trump also said the United States remains prepared to act if necessary, though a negotiated solution might avert further strikes.

Iranian officials responded with varied tones. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker, said the American public rejected war and that Iran endorses that stance. Adviser Mohammad Mokhber described Trump’s electoral loss as a “slap in the face” and claimed Iran benefited by shifting war costs to the United States. An adviser to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps warned that Iran would target sites beyond U.S. bases if Gulf states allowed attacks from their territory.

Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, cautioned that the Democratic victory in Congress could prompt Trump to act more recklessly in the short term, describing a potential “dangerous period” before the new Congress takes office.