Iranian officials welcome U.S. midterm results after voters rebuke Trump administration

Iranian officials welcomed the Democratic Party's victory in the U.S. midterm elections, framing it as a public rebuke of President Donald Trump's administration and its policies toward the ongoing Iran war. Iran's chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, endorsed the American voters' anti-war message on social media, while other officials claimed U.S. sanctions had failed to break Iran's economy. The results come amid continued military confrontations in southern Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, with talks to prevent renewed fighting ongoing. The midterms coincided with the anniversary of the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover in Tehran, marked by anti-American demonstrations. Iran's supreme leader warned against hopes that U.S. partisan shifts would alter American hostility, as back-channel negotiations continue over a potential framework to halt attacks in exchange for lifting the naval blockade.