Iranian Officials Mock Trump After US Midterm Losses, Warn of 'New Weapons'

Senior Iranian officials have used Republican losses in the US midterm elections to issue pointed criticism of President Trump, with several warning that Tehran would respond with a new military approach if Washington restarts strikes. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf wrote on X that American voters had rejected war over economic concerns, and cautioned against any renewed conflict.

Hamidreza Moghadamfar, an adviser to the commander-in-chief of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, said Tehran was prepared to respond if the United States or its allies took military action. He said Iran would answer with a new doctrine and new weapons, describing the response as different from past engagements.

Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, issued a written statement after the results, asserting that the process of American decline had accelerated. He repeated long-standing rhetoric describing the United States in hostile terms and said Iran would not surrender to outside pressure.

Iranian state broadcasters also joined the commentary, with one outlet joking that Trump had failed at regime change in Iran but succeeded in Texas. The line echoed a post that circulated widely on social media as results came in.

The remarks highlight how US domestic political outcomes are being read abroad, particularly in capitals with tense relations with Washington. Iranian officials have frequently framed American elections as a verdict on foreign policy, though Iran's own elections are tightly controlled, with candidates subject to approval by the Supreme Leader.

The midterm results did not produce a clear mandate for either party, and the Iranian statements came as Washington weighs its next steps on regional security. Analysts say the rhetoric is likely aimed at domestic audiences as much as at US policymakers.