Iranian parliament speaker attacks U.S. leadership after Republican midterm setback
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Iran's parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf lashed out at U.S. officials after the Republican Party's 2026 midterm defeat, while US Vice President JD Vance and President Donald Trump pointed to the war with Iran as a key factor in the loss.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf used his X account to criticize US leadership, saying the United States was moving toward an "Israel-First cliff" and that officials were displaying "losing gambler energy" in negotiations. His remarks came after US Vice President JD Vance posted that the war with Iran was a primary reason for the Republican Party's sweeping defeat in the 2026 midterm elections, a view later echoed by President Donald Trump.
Vance said internal campaign data showed strong turnout among conservative voters, but also noted that many people who supported the Trump-Vance ticket in 2024 voted for Democrats in 2026. He said the main reason for the loss was the war, adding that voters also wanted an end to the conflict, more focus on cost-of-living issues, an "America First" approach, and a change in the US relationship with Israel.
"The real reason we lost is obvious to almost everyone... The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night," Vance wrote.
Vance also defended commentators who supported diplomatic solutions to the conflict and warned against future proposals for immigration amnesty, calling them misleading.
President Donald Trump, in a phone interview with the Wall Street Journal, acknowledged that "Iran was a piece of it" in the party's poor performance, while maintaining his support for the decision to initiate the war earlier in the year.
The exchange highlights the continuing tensions between Iranian officials and US leadership as both sides evaluate the political consequences of the conflict.