Iranian Officials Say US Midterm Results Show Voters Rejected War; Trump Cites War's Role
Photo: New York PostIranian officials said on Tuesday and Wednesday that the Democratic wins in the US midterm elections showed Americans had rejected President Donald Trump's war on Iran. Democrats captured majorities in both the Senate and House on Tuesday, including victories in Republican strongholds and a Texas Senate race. Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf wrote on X that Americans said "no to war" over conscience or the cost of living, and warned that Washington would face a "nightmare" if it betrayed public will. Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said in a written statement that US hostility would persist whichever party governs and warned against any submissive inclination. Trump acknowledged in interviews that the US-Israeli war, which raised gas prices, played a role in Republican losses. Iran's Revolutionary Guard said on Wednesday that four tankers hit sea mines in the Strait of Hormuz and two more were seized, a claim the BBC could not verify, a day after US strikes on Qeshm that followed the Guard firing on a US aircraft.
Left-leaning HuffPost, running Reuters copy, leads with Tehran savouring the rebuke while staying on alert for renewed strikes. It stresses the voter frustration over the economy and gas prices and Trump's admission, and includes a judiciary-run outlet's joke about Texas. It notes Iranian sources' fears about Trump's next move. Right-leaning New York Post and Breitbart frame it as gloating. The Post highlights a Guard adviser's threat of "new weapons" and Khamenei's claim that US collapse has accelerated; it describes him as missing. Breitbart ties Qalibaf's words to anti-Israel Democrats and notes Khamenei has not been seen publicly since March. Both sides share Qalibaf's quote and Khamenei's warning; they differ in that the left adds Trump's concession and Iranian anxiety, while the right foregrounds threats and partisan commentary. Alternative outlets Antiwar.com and BBC-style detail differ little, though Antiwar.com adds Mohsen Rezaei's claim of a political defeat for Trump.
How the sides differ Left sources pair Iran's reaction with Tehran's fear of renewed strikes; right sources stress Iranian gloating and threats; alternative sources mostly relay Iranian statements, with Rezaei's quote distinct.
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HuffPost, carrying Reuters, leads with Iran savouring the Republican rout while fearing renewed strikes, quoting Qalibaf and Khamenei and noting Trump's admission that the war hurt Republicans.
Antiwar.com relays Qalibaf, Mohsen Rezaei and Khamenei's statements at length with little commentary; BBC News pairs Qalibaf's remarks with Hormuz tanker claims and the earlier US strikes, noting they were unverified.
New York Post and Breitbart frame Iran as gloating, featuring threats of new weapons, Khamenei's "Great Satan" language and his absence from public view; Breitbart links Qalibaf's words to Democrats.