Iranian officials and hardliners are seizing on US President Donald Trump’s Republican Party’s sweeping midterm defeat to intensify pressure on Washington, arguing the political setback proves the United States has failed to achieve its objectives in the eight-month war. Tehran believes Trump is now under domestic pressure and should be forced to pay a bigger price to end the conflict.
Mohsen Rezaei, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, delivered one of the sharpest attacks in a post on X, openly mocking the Trump administration. “You lost the war and the election,” he wrote. “Vance has conceded, Rubio is heading for the exit, Hegseth is about to be fired, and the Centcom commander is now a podcaster! So, who exactly in Washington do we need to get this message across to?” He added a warning: “Start a war, and you’ll face a devastating response.”
The post portrayed a weakening administration, suggesting Washington’s leadership was either conceding defeat or losing its grip on the conflict. Iranian hardliners, convinced their country has already won, are demanding the government hold its ground in negotiations rather than offer concessions, with some pushing for a “new world order” that strengthens Iran’s regional position.
Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei reinforced the message on Wednesday, warning against the “slightest inclination towards submission”—a remark hardliners believe was aimed at Iranian negotiators in talks with Washington. The hardline outlet Raja News published a column arguing the US must “pay the price” for attacking Iran and warned against letting Trump “escape with a rushed agreement.” It said the only way to avert war is to “increase power, maximize pressure on the US and energy prices, and make the enemy regret its actions.”
The comments followed admissions from Trump and Vice President JD Vance linking the Republicans’ poor midterm performance to the economic fallout from the war. Trump acknowledged in a Fox News call that the conflict partly contributed to the defeat, while Vance was more direct: “the reason we lost is the war.”
Eight months in, neither side appears close to a decisive outcome. Military action has slowed and diplomacy has yet to yield a breakthrough, with Iranian negotiators shuttling between Tehran and Doha as Qatar tries to bridge differences. A regional official told CNN that the risk of another war had eased following the Republican defeat, though escalation remains possible.
Over the past week, the US carried out strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island, including one on Thursday night, with both sides playing down the intensity to avoid derailing talks. Trump has not ruled out further military action, telling reporters: “I would rather not destroy the rest of the country if possible but maybe I’ll have to. You’ll know soon enough.”
Diplomatic activity has picked up across the region. Qatar said Friday that Trump spoke with Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani about de-escalation efforts. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also held calls with counterparts in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Pakistan, Kuwait, Jordan, Turkey, Cyprus and Qatar. Tehran has laid out seven conditions Washington must meet before Iran agrees to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, including ending the war on all fronts, paying compensation, withdrawing US forces and lifting sanctions.
Original Source: https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/iran-turns-trumps-election-disaster-into-leverage-wants-new-world-order-12298251#publisher=newsstand
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Publish Date: 2026-11-07 23:34:00
