Iranian leaders see midterm results as rebuke of Trump's Iran policy

Iranian leaders celebrated Democratic gains in the US midterm elections as a public rejection of President Donald Trump's policies toward Iran, with officials framing the results as an American "no" to war. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Americans rejected war, while judiciary head Gholam-Hossein Mohseni-Ejei claimed Trump was "defeated in both war and politics." Analysts noted the results may harden Iran's stance on demands including conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, though experts warned Trump could still order limited strikes before leaving office. The statements coincided with the anniversary of the 1979 US embassy seizure, with Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei asserting the Persian Gulf situation has "invalidated the myth of American invincibility." State media highlighted Republican losses, including the election of the first Muslim senator.