Iranian Speaker Mocks Vance Over Midterm Losses, Urges Direct Talk with Trump

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf mocked US Vice President JD Vance on Thursday for linking the Republican Party's midterm election losses to the war on Iran, telling him to "skip the TED talk" and address President Donald Trump directly. Vance, in a post after the Republicans' sweeping defeat, outlined four steps for the party's recovery, including ending the war, focusing on inflation, prioritizing America, and changing the US relationship with Israel. He stated that "the reason we lost is the war," while Trump has defended the conflict as necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. The US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, killing much of its top leadership, prompting Tehran to retaliate against US interests and close the Strait of Hormuz. The standoff drove up fuel and fertilizer prices, contributing to the difficult electoral environment for Republicans.