Iran’s negotiator says Americans rejected war in midterms
Tehran welcomes the Republican setback as shipping attacks continue near the Strait of Hormuz, while indirect talks remain stalled.
Key points
- Iran's chief negotiator says Americans voted against war after Republican midterm losses
- Trump said the Iran conflict was partly behind the poor results, but said he does not regret the attack
- Iran's IRGC says four tankers were set ablaze by mines; BBC Verify has found no evidence of that
- An Indian dhow crew member died in an attack near Oman's Limah on Monday
- Indirect talks mediated by Qatar have been stalled for months
Iran’s chief negotiator in the talks with Washington has said that American voters rejected war. According to the BBC, Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, who is also parliament speaker, made the remark on X after President Donald Trump’s Republican Party suffered a heavy defeat in the midterm elections. He wrote that Iran endorsed the message.
Ghalibaf also warned that if the US government ignores the public’s wishes, Iran’s response would be harsh. His post suggested Tehran would treat any further hostility as a serious threat.
Read also: Oil prices fall as hopes grow for an end to Iran war
Trump links results to the war
Trump acknowledged on Tuesday that the weak showing by Republican congressional candidates was partly linked to the conflict and a sharp rise in petrol prices, according to the BBC. He did not say he regretted the joint attack on Iran with Israel, which began in February.
In an interview with Fox News, Trump said that part of the result was tied to Iran. He argued that voters backed his Iran policy but were not prepared for higher fuel costs in the short term. In a separate interview with CBS News, he said the conflict would end when he decided it was over.
Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, has not appeared in public since the war began. In a statement, he said that anyone expecting a change in American hostility toward the Iranian nation was badly mistaken. He did not expect US policy to shift after the midterm results.
Shipping attacks continue near Hormuz
On Wednesday, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard reported that four oil tankers were set ablaze after striking explosive devices laid in the Strait of Hormuz. It said two of them were still burning and that two more tankers had been stopped. The claims were reported by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, which said the vessels had been using a banned southern route. BBC Verify examined those claims but could not confirm that four tankers had been destroyed.
Separately, the UK Maritime Trade Operations centre reported that a ship came under fire from two objects of unclear origin on Tuesday evening, roughly 14 nautical miles from Limah on the Musandam peninsula in Oman, toward the north-east. It reported no casualties. On Monday, a crew member from India died after an assault on a dhow, a traditional wooden sailing vessel, close to Limah. Thirteen further sailors were picked up by Omani rescuers.
The IRGC also stated on Wednesday that it had brought down a further American MQ-9 unmanned aircraft above the strait. It made a similar claim on Monday night. US officials said American forces had carried out limited strikes on Qeshm Island after the IRGC fired on a US aircraft.
Diplomacy remains stuck
Trump told the Financial Times before the midterms that he was pleased with the state of the conflict and did not consider it a real war. Asked about hints from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of a possible attack on Iran this week, he said forces were ready but that action might not be needed.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Tuesday that his government had been seeking a solution through dialogue. He warned that no one would benefit if the war resumed. He also said Iran’s supreme leader had given the government powers to negotiate issues he had previously ruled out.
Iranian foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqai said indirect talks mediated by Qatar are based on a seven-step proposal Iran submitted in September. He said the plan had been condensed so it could be carried out within two days. Indirect talks have been stalled for months.
Why the strait matters
The Strait of Hormuz normally carries about a fifth of global oil and gas shipments. It was effectively closed after the war began, following Iranian missile and drone attacks on commercial ships and a US naval blockade. A preliminary deal reached in June collapsed within weeks, after attacks on shipping resumed and the US reimposed its blockade. Iran has said it will not give up some control over the waterway. The US military is protecting tankers carrying oil from Gulf Arab states.
Frequently asked questions
Why did Iran comment on the US midterm elections?
Iranu0026#039;s chief negotiator said American voters had said no to war. He said Iran endorsed that message after Republican candidates lost heavily in the midterms.
What is happening in the Strait of Hormuz?
Iranu0026#039;s Revolutionary Guard said four tankers were set ablaze by mines, though BBC Verify has found no evidence of that. Separately, a tanker was struck by unidentified objects near Oman, with no casualties reported.
Are talks to end the Iran conflict moving forward?
Indirect talks mediated by Qatar have been stalled for months. Iran says its seven-step proposal from September has been condensed so it could be implemented within two days.
Sources
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