Americans have said 'NO TO WAR,' Iran speaker says as Democrats take Congress

In this handout image provided by ICANA, Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf meets with Pakistan's Army Chief Syed Asim Munir (not in frame) on May 23, 2026 in Tehran, Iran.

Hamed Malekpour | Getty Images

Iran's speaker of parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said Americans have said "NO TO WAR," as projections from U.S. midterm elections showed that Democrats have flipped both houses of Congress.

Posting on X after projections showed that Democrats will have a majority in the House and Senate over the coming two years, Ghalibaf said that "Conscience or the cost of living, Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message."

"If the [U.S. government] betrays their public will to serve international paymasters and blackmailers, it will learn our NO comes with a Nightmare."

Last Saturday, Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei called for Tehran's armed forces to meet "any level or type of threat" with "an immediate, impactful, and geographically unrestricted response."

The Iran war has been a central issue for voters in the midterms, after U.S. President Donald Trump launched joint strikes with Israel against the Islamic Republic in February. The conflict has pushed up energy prices across the U.S., which has led to cost of living concerns.

Trump is also blaming the Iran war in part for the Democratic sweep of both chambers of Congress, telling the Wall Street Journal that "Iran was a piece of it" when asked if the war contributed to the Republicans losses.

However, he maintains that prosecuting the war was the right decision, saying, "I don't think about it. I did the right thing. I would have done it again."

Washington has not explicitly stated it plans to resume attacks on Iran, but reports from The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times indicate the U.S. is preparing for possible renewed military actions after the midterm elections.

With their new majorities, Democrats might be able to push through a War Powers Resolution, which will direct Trump to end the conflict with Iran should Congress not authorize it.

In June, both chambers — which were then Republican controlled — passed a concurrent resolution to end the conflict, although a concurrent resolution is not binding and does not have the force of law. Previous attempts to impose a binding War Powers Resolution had been defeated.

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