Following President Donald Trump’s Republican Party’s unexpected setback in the midterm elections, Iran’s main negotiator in negotiations with the United States said that Americans voted “NO TO WAR.”He said, “If the US [government] betrays their public will to serve foreign paymasters and blackmailers, it will learn our NO comes with a nightmare.”
On Tuesday, Trump admitted that the war and the ensuing spike in gas costs contributed to the dismal performance of Republican congressional candidates. However, he maintained that he had no regrets for attacking Iran in February alongside Israel.
Quick Facts
| What Happened | Trump linked Iran conflict to US midterm election losses. |
|---|---|
| Where | United States, Iran and Strait of Hormuz |
| When | November 2026 |
| Key Figures | Donald Trump, Mojtaba Khamenei and Benjamin Netanyahu |
| Current Status | Diplomatic negotiations continue amid rising tensions. |
| Why It Matters | The conflict threatens regional security, global oil supplies and fuel prices. |
Trump Links Midterm Results to Iran Conflict
Regarding the midterm results, Trump stated, “I think a part of it was Iran” in an interview with News.
He continued by saying: “People agree with what I’m doing on Iran but they really probably weren’t willing to do the short term consequences of paying more for gasoline – I understand that.”
Trump stated that the battle will finish “when say it ends” in a separate interview with the US news partner.
Trump has warned in recent weeks that if an agreement to end the conflict with Iran cannot be achieved, the US and Israel may go back to full-scale war after the midterm elections.
Iran Warns US Against Renewed War
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei stated he did not anticipate a change in US policy. Khamenei has not been seen in public since he was allegedly gravely injured in the same Israeli airstrike on the opening day of the war that killed his father and predecessor, Ali.
In a statement, Khamenei said that it was “gravely mistaken” for anybody to believe that American “hostility towards the Iranian nation” will alter.
In a different development on Wednesday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) of Iran said that four oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz caught fire after striking navy sea mines.
Iran Tanker Attacks Raise Hormuz Tensions
According to the semi-official Tasnim news agency, the IRGC reported that two of the ships were still on fire and that two more tankers had been stopped. It said that they were attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz by a forbidden southern route.
After looking over the IRGC allegations, Verify has not discovered any proof that four tankers were destroyed.
An attack northeast of Limah on Monday claimed the life of an Indian crew member aboard a dhow, a wooden sailing vessel. Authorities in Oman saved thirteen other crew members.
Trump Says US Ready for Iran Strikes
Prior to the midterm elections, Trump stated in an interview with the press that he did not think they were “really in a war” and that he was content with the nature of the battle.
Trump stated that they were “locked and loaded if we need to go, but there may be no need for it” in response to the newspaper’s description of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “strong hints” that Iran will be attacked this week.
On Tuesday, President Masoud Pezeshkian said that his administration had been working “through dialogue” to find a solution.
Iran Signals Progress in Peace Negotiations
He cautioned that “no one will benefit from this war” if it were to resume.
Esmaeil Baqai, a spokesman for Iran’s foreign ministry, stated on Monday that the seven-step plan Iran offered in September continues to serve as the foundation for the ongoing indirect talks mediated by Qatar. However, he clarified that the plan had been “condensed, making it possible to implement it within two days.”
Due to Iranian missile and drone strikes on commercial boats as well as the US naval blockade, the Strait of Hormuz, which typically handles 25% of the world’s oil and gas imports, was essentially blocked once the Iran conflict began.
