Iranian officials cast Democratic gains as rebuke to Trump’s war

Iranian officials celebrated Democratic gains in the November 3, 2026, midterm elections, portraying the results as a rejection of President Donald Trump’s war against Iran while warning that a change in control of Congress would not alter Washington’s approach to Tehran. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said American voters had opposed the war and wrote on X that “Conscience or the cost of living, Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message.” He warned that ignoring public opinion and continuing attacks would bring what he called a “Nightmare.” His statements attributed voters’ choices to opposition to the conflict or its economic costs; the results alone do not establish how much the war influenced individual votes. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said expectations that shifts in U.S. political control would change American hostility toward Iran were mistaken. His comments maintained Tehran’s longstanding opposition to concessions, even as Iranian officials presented the election outcome as a setback for Trump. The Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress, according to reports on the results, with gains in areas that had traditionally supported...