Iranian leaders see midterm vote as rejection of Trump's war policy

Iranian leaders celebrated US voters' rejection of President Donald Trump in Tuesday's midterm elections, framing it as a rebuke of his war policy against Iran. Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress, a sharp setback for Trump. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, dismissed hopes for a US policy shift, warning that concessions would not dissuade American hostility. Iranian officials echoed this, with parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf saying Americans said "NO TO WAR" and warning of consequences if Washington ignores the vote. The war, launched by the US and Israel on Feb 28, killed Khamenei's predecessor and has disrupted global energy markets. Thousands marched in Tehran Wednesday, burning flags and chanting "Death to America," while back-channel negotiations continue amid ongoing strikes near the Strait of Hormuz.