Iranian leaders weigh mixed reactions to US midterm results
Iranian officials present divided views on the impact of the Democratic congressional victory, with hardliners downplaying the shift while others see it as a political setback for Washington.
By Isabella Kaur ·
Leadership in Iran has offered a mixed response to the results of the recent US midterm elections, where Democrats secured control of Congress. While some officials view the outcome as a significant political blow to the United States, others remain skeptical that the change in Washington will fundamentally alter American policy toward Tehran.
Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a statement following the vote, arguing that the shift in the US political landscape is unlikely to change Washington's hostile stance. He warned that those believing America can be persuaded to drop its hostility through concessions or partisan changes are deeply mistaken. Khamenei also cautioned that Iran would respond with greater force to any future military actions by the United States.
The elections occurred after months of military confrontation between the two nations. This conflict disrupted global energy markets and heightened fears of a wider regional war. Mohammad Sadegh Javadi Hesar, an Iran-based journalist and member of the reformist Etemad-e Melli party, told DW that the outcome would not change Iran's strategic calculations. He noted that decisions to end the conflict remain in Washington's hands, while Tehran is expected to continue demanding an end to all hostilities, including those in Lebanon, and the lifting of the US naval blockade.
In contrast, some Iranian figures interpreted the results more favorably. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated on the social media platform X that American voters had effectively voted against the war. He acknowledged that rising living costs also contributed to the Republican losses but mocked Vice President JD Vance, who had attributed the defeat to the Iran conflict. Ghalibaf urged Vance to communicate this assessment directly to his boss.
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, claimed that Iran had not only challenged the US on the battlefield and in the Strait of Hormuz but had also delivered a political setback in Washington. Several media outlets echoed this sentiment, with the news website Etelaat Online sarcastically suggesting that the long-discussed regime change had actually occurred in the United States rather than Iran.
Commentators also drew historical parallels to the 1980 hostage crisis. The state-affiliated Mehr News Agency compared President Donald Trump's political troubles to those of former President Jimmy Carter. The agency recalled the failed US military operation to rescue hostages in Tehran, which involved a deadly crash between a helicopter and a transport plane during a sandstorm. The agency argued that this episode showed the limits of US military power, noting that Carter lost the subsequent presidential election to Ronald Reagan.
The hostages were released in January 1981, just minutes after Reagan was sworn in for his first term. However, hardline media close to Iran's Revolutionary Guards, such as Tasnim News Agency, dismissed the broader significance of the midterm results. They argued that there is little meaningful difference between Republicans and Democrats regarding Iran policy, using a Persian proverb to suggest that neither side should be expected to act differently.
Veteran diplomat Hossein Alizadeh, who served in the Iranian diplomatic corps for 22 years, told DW that the specific fallout is difficult to predict. He emphasized that as a superpower, the US exerts influence globally, affecting regions from Europe to the Middle East. Alizadeh considers a large-scale military escalation unlikely, noting that Democrats, despite opposing the Islamic Republic, previously opted for a diplomatic agreement. He referenced the 2015 nuclear deal, which placed Iranian nuclear activities under the oversight of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Alizadeh added that US allies and Democrats were not in favor of attacking Iran, pointing to the clear negative repercussions of the recent conflict. His analysis suggests that while the political landscape in Washington has shifted, the path forward for US-Iran relations may still rely on diplomatic engagement rather than further military action.
