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Iranian officials say Democrats' midterm win shows Americans rejected the war

Supreme Leader Khamenei says US hostility will continue under either party, and Iranian sources tell Reuters Tehran fears a possible strike by Trump.

6 news outlets reported this
Liberal3 outletsIran celebrates the vote but stays on alertCenter2 outletsIran's mixed reading of what the vote changesConservative1 outletKhamenei gloats while Democrats gain leverage over Trump
Published 3 min read
Overview

Democrats captured majorities in both the Senate and the House in Tuesday's US midterm elections, and Iran's leaders responded. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, Iran's chief negotiator, wrote on X that Americans said no to war. According to Deutsche Welle, he also acknowledged that the rising cost of living contributed to the Republican loss.

In a written statement, Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said Washington's hostility would last no matter which party is in power. Deutsche Welle reports he also cautioned that any new US military action would meet a stronger Iranian response. Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, said Iran had dealt the US a political setback in Washington.

Two senior Iranian sources told Reuters that Iran's leaders welcomed the Democratic win. They said Tehran is on high alert because it worries Trump might answer the defeat with a military strike. Trump declined to rule out resuming combat operations after the vote.

He told Fox News, "I think a part of it was Iran," but added that people also understood the importance of what he has done on Iran. The US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, and the war is now in its ninth month. Mediators have stepped up efforts to end it.

Key figures
  • February 28 date the US and Israel attacked Iran — HuffPost
  • ninth month stage the war has reached, per Reuters — HuffPost

Three sides of the story

Liberal3 outlets

Iran celebrates the vote but stays on alert

HuffPost carries the Reuters report, which says Iran's government "savoured" the result and quotes Qalibaf: "Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message." It adds Khamenei's statement that US hostility would persist under either party, and a Hamshahri front page showing a blindfolded Trump. The report then turns to two senior Iranian sources who say Tehran is on high alert for a possible strike, with Trump declining to rule out renewed combat.

Semafor's headline says Iran "takes credit" for the defeat. It quotes Tehran's claim of "a POLITICAL DEFEAT in Washington," notes reports that Iranian negotiators stalled talks, and says Washington's European allies were largely silent. It cites France's economy minister, who calls Trump "quite weakened" but notes that he remains "in charge of international policy."

PBS NewsHour's news wrap reports that top Iranian officials welcomed the results as a vote against the war.

Center2 outlets

Iran's mixed reading of what the vote changes

Deutsche Welle's headline, "Iran signals satisfaction, skepticism," frames two Iranian reactions. It opens with the leadership downplaying the result. Khamenei says those who think America can be persuaded to drop its hostility "through concessions or partisan changes in the US political system" are "gravely mistaken."

It quotes Qalibaf saying Americans "said no to war" and mocking Vice President JD Vance. Rezaei claims a political setback for Washington. Hardline Tasnim sees little difference between the parties, and Mehr compares Trump to Jimmy Carter.

DW also quotes Iran-based journalist Mohammad Sadegh Javadi Hesar, who expects no change in Tehran's position, and former diplomat Hossein Alizadeh, who thinks another large-scale US escalation is unlikely. Two Hill opinion columns take different angles. One is headlined "Iran is the biggest winner of Tuesday's election" and cites an IRGC spokesperson's letter urging Americans to vote against Trump.

The other argues Tehran has read the midterms wrong.

Conservative1 outlet

Khamenei gloats while Democrats gain leverage over Trump

The New York Post's headline has Iran's Supreme Leader gloating, with the quoted line "Collapse has accelerated." The report opens with the result itself, a "stunning wipeout" that many of Trump's political advisers put down to the Iran war, which it says pushed up energy prices and . It then turns to Washington.

Trump has said the vote will not change how he handles Iran. The Republican-held House and Senate had already voted to require him to end the conflict, the Post says, and Democratic majorities can press further, possibly by withholding funds, blocking key nominations and trying to impeach current office-holders. It notes that Khamenei, who must approve any deal with the US, spoke out even though Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that "very intensive" peace talks were under way.

All sources: 7 articles from 6 outlets

Liberal (3)

Center (3)

Conservative (1)

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