Iranians face uncertainty after Trump's midterm defeat, with fears of war and repression persisting

Iranians are expressing deep uncertainty following the Republican Party's defeat in the US midterm elections, with pro-regime crowds in Tehran burning banners of Donald Trump while officials celebrate the outcome as a rejection of his policies toward Iran. Iranian state media has amplified defiant statements, including from Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who claimed the US collapse is accelerating, while citizens report worsening economic conditions and fear of renewed conflict, with at least 696 executions recorded this year by Iran Human Rights. Iranians remain divided on whether another full-scale war is likely, but those interviewed agree that domestic repression will persist regardless of US political changes, with one former prisoner stating "no one knows what will happen" and that the regime's coercive machinery will not stop.