Tehran leaders call US midterms a rejection of the war, as strikes continue

Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei dismissed expectations that the U.S. midterm election results would alter Washington's strategy toward Iran on Wednesday. The supreme leader, who ascended to power after his father was killed in the war's opening strikes in February, posted on social media that those hoping for a shift in American behavior are gravely mistaken. He warned that offering concessions to the United States would not dissuade the country from its hostility toward the Iranian nation.

The defiant tone followed Tuesday's vote, in which Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress. Many observers in the Middle East believe frustration over rising fuel and food prices in the U.S., driven by the war, contributed to the Republican setback. Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran's parliament speaker and chief negotiator, wrote on X that Americans said no to war. He warned that if the U.S. government ignores the mandate for change, it will learn that Iran's rejection comes with a nightmare.

The political messaging coincided with a government-organized demonstration in Tehran marking the anniversary of the 1979 U.S. Embassy takeover. Thousands of pro-government marchers burned American and Israeli flags and displayed effigies of President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hananeh Jahed, a demonstrator, said Trump had gone too far in everything, citing that as a reason for his electoral defeat. Zahra Nadiminejad noted that U.S. voters finally understood that Iran would not be dominated, pointing to the domestic economic effects of the conflict.

Military tensions remain high in the waterways critical to global energy supply. Iranian state media reported explosions on Qeshm and Hengam islands and near the port city of Bandar Abbas on Monday. The strikes occurred one day before the U.S. elections. Iranian officials have not disclosed the extent of the damage or the specific sites hit. The Strait of Hormuz, which handled about a fifth of global oil and gas trade before the war, continues to see Iranian attacks on commercial shipping.

Iran's state television reported that four oil tankers caught fire on Wednesday after striking mines on unauthorized routes. The United States maintains a naval blockade of Iranian ports, with thousands of troops stationed in the region to prevent tankers from reaching the global market. An additional aircraft carrier and thousands of more troops are en route to the Middle East. U.S. Vice President JD Vance stated on Monday that he and Trump feel pretty good about the prospects for a negotiated settlement, even as back-channel talks continue.

The conflict, which began on February 28 with a joint U.S. and Israeli strike that killed the previous supreme leader, has disrupted global energy markets. Tehran Mayor Alireza Zakani addressed the Wednesday crowd, claiming the United States and Israel suffered a massive defeat reflected in recent elections. He attributed this outcome to the steadfastness of the Iranian nation. The United States and Iran have had no formal diplomatic relations for years, a rupture cemented by the 444-day hostage crisis that began in 1979.