Iranian officials celebrate US midterm results, warn of continued hostility
Iranian leaders praised the US midterm outcome as a rejection of President Donald Trump's war policy and warned that anti-US sentiment will persist regardless of which party governs.
Iranian officials expressed satisfaction with the recent United States midterm elections, saying voters rejected President Donald Trump's war initiative. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf posted on X that Americans said “NO TO WAR” and urged Washington not to ignore public opinion by attacking Iran again.
Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a written statement warning that US hostility would continue irrespective of which party holds power, adding that “even the slightest inclination towards submission” to the United States would be unacceptable.
Democrats secured majorities in both chambers of Congress, a result Tehran interpreted as a rebuke of Trump’s economic stewardship and his decision to launch the conflict that has raised fuel prices. Two senior Iranian sources told Reuters that while the victory was welcomed, Tehran remains on high alert for a possible retaliatory strike by President Trump.
At a state-organized rally commemorating the 1979 student takeover of the US embassy in Tehran, demonstrators linked the election outcome to Iran’s ability to withstand months of US attacks. One participant, identified only as Nazari, said the defeat of “warmongering Republicans” would shift the focus of conflict to the US Senate and American officials.
Negotiations to end the war have intensified amid concerns that hostilities could resume. President Trump has not ruled out resuming combat operations, and Iran has indicated it will respond more broadly if fighting restarts.
The conflict, which began with US and Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 28, has expanded to include attacks on Gulf states, Lebanon, and Yemen, disrupting global oil markets and prompting a US naval blockade of Iranian ports.