Iranian leaders offer conflicting reactions to US midterm results

Khamenei stated that those anticipating a change in US behavior due to partisan shifts are “seriously mistaken,” according to a written statement published on his website. He emphasized Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz as having debunked the notion of American invincibility and warned of a broader response to any renewed US aggression.

President Donald Trump acknowledged the US-Israel conflict with Iran, which began in February, likely contributed to his Republican Party’s disappointing performance, suggesting voters were hesitant about potential increases in gasoline prices.

Khamenei’s message coincided with the National Day of the Fight Against Global Arrogance, commemorating the 1979 seizure of the US embassy in Tehran. He characterized the ongoing confrontation with the US as a constant state of resistance.

While Khamenei expressed skepticism, other Iranian officials adopted a more celebratory tone. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s chief negotiator with Washington and parliament speaker, declared that Americans had “said NO TO WAR.” He warned that the US would face a “Nightmare” if it disregarded public opinion.

Mohammad Mokhber, an advisor to Khamenei, described Trump’s defeat as a “slap in the face” by his own people. Judiciary chief Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei predicted further defeats for Trump, while Mehdi Tabatabaei, deputy head for communications at the president’s office, attributed the Republican losses to Israel’s war on Gaza, US support for Israel, and the conflict with Iran.

Some in Tehran believe a Democratic-controlled Congress might restrain Trump, but others fear he could retaliate with renewed aggression. Hamidreza Moghadamfar, an advisor to the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), warned that Iran would target locations beyond US bases if Gulf states allowed attacks to be launched from their territory, specifically mentioning the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.