Iranian leaders have declared a victory lap following the midterm election results, interpreting the Democratic gains as a rejection of President Trump's war policy and a referendum on its economic impact on American voters. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei posted on X, formerly Twitter, that "The process of the US’s collapse has accelerated." He added, "Conscience or the cost of living, Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message."
Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who has also been a chief negotiator with Washington, stated on X that "If the US govt betrays their public will to serve international paymasters and blackmailers, it will learn our NO comes with a Nightmare." He further warned that "The slightest inclination toward submission would cause the immense capital acquired through the blessings brought by the blood of our martyrs and the sacrifices of the entire Iranian nation to be lost."
These declarations followed Democratic control of Congress, a development that coincided with midterm election campaigns dominated by concerns over affordability and the prolonged conflict with Iran. The war, initially predicted by Trump to last weeks, had stretched for over eight months, contributing to rising energy prices and impacting the cost of goods.
Trump acknowledged that the Iran conflict "partly" played a role in Republican losses, though he defended his decision to engage in the war. Vice President JD Vance was more direct, stating in an X post, "The reason we lost is the war."
Iranian Deputy Parliament Speaker Ali Nikzad referred to the Republican losses as "aftershocks" of what he described as Trump's defeat by Iran. A senior official in President Masoud Pezeshkian's office claimed that the war and US support for Israel were responsible for the historic Republican electoral defeat.
The conflict's economic consequences, including surging oil prices and disruptions to global markets via the Strait of Hormuz, directly affected American consumers. Attacks by Iran on energy infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and elsewhere further squeezed supplies, leading to a significant disruption of oil reaching global markets. The prolonged nature of the war complicated the administration's narrative that the conflict had achieved its objectives, with Trump at one point disputing his own earlier timelines for its conclusion.