Iran hails US voters rejecting war while Khamenei warns hostility won’t end

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei said US election results would not change Washington’s hostility towards Iran, and warned that any renewed attack would prompt a broader response. His remarks came as Iranian officials portrayed voters’ support for Democrats as a rejection of war, while Donald Trump left open the possibility of a major strike.

Khamenei said Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz had challenged perceptions of US power; he made the statement on the anniversary of the 1979 US embassy seizure in Tehran. Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress, and Trump suggested higher petrol prices, rather than the war, had hurt Republicans. Analyst Trita Parsi warned that the period before the new Congress takes control in January could be volatile, as Trump might escalate after the setback.