Iran celebrates Trump's political setback but braces for possible US attacks
Photo: Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei (Getty Images)
Iran has welcomed the Republicans' defeat in the US elections but fears President Donald Trump could respond with new strikes, according to Reuters.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf who is also the country's chief negotiator, said the election results reflected Americans' attitude toward the war.
"Conscience or the cost of living, Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message," he wrote on X.
Ghalibaf also stressed that Washington should not ignore the views of its own citizens if it considers launching new attacks on Iran.
The country's Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, in turn, said the US approach toward Iran would not change depending on which party was in power. He also warned against making any concessions to Washington.
"The US sees the end of its hegemony as distant; we see it as near," Khamenei said.
Why Iran fears a new US attack
Despite welcoming the election results, Tehran does not believe the threat of renewed war has passed.
Two senior Iranian sources told Reuters that the country's leadership fears Trump may try to compensate for his political defeat with a military strike.
Iran therefore remains on heightened military alert.
Amid these concerns, mediators have stepped up efforts to end the war. Both sides fear hostilities could resume after the US elections.
The November 3 midterm elections saw Democrats win majorities in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Their victories, including in states that have traditionally supported Republicans, demonstrated that some American voters were dissatisfied with Trump's economic policies and his decision to start the war.
The conflict with Iran, in particular, has driven up gasoline prices. The US president himself acknowledged that the US-Israeli war against Iran may have influenced the election results and the Republicans' poor performance.
