As the balance of power in Washington changed overnight, one of the sharpest global reactions came from Tehran. After Democrats took control of both the House and the Senate, Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei urged his people not to treat the result as a sign of ease in US policy towards Iran.
Khamenei’s message to Iranians
Taking to X, the Supreme Leader wrote: “Nov. 4 this year, Iranians understand their stance toward the criminal US more clearly and unequivocally than ever before. Nevertheless, reviewing the reasons for the US’s hostility, and the Iranian nation’s firm resistance to them, serves as a guiding light for the path ahead.
The statement came hours after Donald Trump dealt a blow by the results of the mid term elections.
Since taking charge as Supreme Leader following the death of his father, Khamenei has issued several warnings and statements. However, he has not appeared in public since March.
Khamenei also warned that the Middle East war would spread further if the United States resumed its attacks on Iran.
Earlier, Iran’s chief negotiator in talks with the US, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said Americans had voted against war.“Conscience or the cost of living, Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message,” he posted on X.
“If the US govt betrays their public will to serve international paymasters and blackmailers, it will learn our NO comes with a Nightmare,” Ghalibaf said.
What drove the Democratic win
Democrats flipped control of both the House and the Senate in a resounding and historic victory. The party capitalised on Donald Trump’s unpopularity and now has real power to check him in the final two years of his term.
This year’s midterms were largely about the Iran war and the economic crisis facing the United States. Democratic candidates blamed Trump and the war he waged on Iran for the hardships faced by citizens, which left voters frustrated across the country.