Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf took a swipe at US Vice-President JD Vance after he blamed the war with Iran for the Republican Party’s losses in the midterm elections. Responding to Vance’s remarks, Ghalibaf questioned why the Vice-President had not raised his concerns directly with President Donald Trump while accusing the administration of preparing to escalate its military campaign against Tehran.
In a post on X, Ghalibaf also suggested that Washington was placing Israeli interests ahead of its own.
“Losing gambler energy, can’t walk away from the table. Boss is prepping the next war phase while America teeters on an Israel-First cliff. Skip the TED talk. Why not say this to your boss?” Ghalibaf wrote
JD Vance blames Iran war for Republican election defeat
Ghalibaf’s remarks came a day after Vance attributed the Republican Party’s poor performance in the November 3 midterm elections largely to public dissatisfaction with the war in Iran. According to the Vice-President, the defeat could not be explained simply by the party’s failure to mobilise its supporters, as voters who had backed the Trump-Vance ticket in 2024 appeared to have shifted their support to Democratic candidates.
“The reason we lost is the war. The president himself said so last night,” Vance wrote on Wednesday.
Democrats secure control of both houses of US Congress
The Republicans’ electoral setback was particularly significant as Democrats secured majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate in Tuesday’s midterm elections. Their Senate victories included contests in Texas, Kansas and South Carolina, states that had traditionally posed challenges for the party in recent elections.
With Democrats winning majorities in both the House of Representatives and the Senate, Republicans will lose control of Congress when the newly elected lawmakers take office in January 2027. This shift in power will give Democrats the ability to block Trump’s legislative proposals and launch congressional investigations into his administration.
US-Iran war
The election outcome also comes against the backdrop of a prolonged conflict with Iran, which began in late February when the United States and Israel launched military strikes against Tehran. More than eight months into the war, the continuing confrontation has coincided with rising petrol and diesel prices, adding to the financial pressure on American households. These increases, along with the broader cost of living, became key issues in Democratic election campaigns.
Trump defends Iran war despite Republican losses
Despite acknowledging that the conflict had influenced the election outcome, Trump stood by his decision to launch military action against Iran. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal following the results, the US President conceded that the war had contributed to the Republican losses but maintained that the decision to attack Iran had been justified.
