In this handout image provided by ICANA, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf meets with Pakistan’s Army Chief of Staff Saeed Asim Munir (not shown in frame) in Tehran, Iran, on May 23, 2026.
Hamed Malekpour | Getty Images
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Berger Ghalibaf said Americans had said “no to war” as predictions for the US midterm elections showed Democrats flipping both houses of Congress.
“Whether it’s conscience or the cost of living, Americans are saying no to war, and we stand by that message,” Ghalibaf wrote in a post on X after it was predicted that Democrats would gain a majority in both houses of Congress over the next two years.
“If[the U.S. government]betrays the will of its people in serving international funders and blackmailers, we will find that our no comes with nightmares.”
Last Saturday, Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei called on Iran’s armed forces to respond to “threats of all levels and types” with “immediate, impactful and geographically unrestricted responses.”
The Iran war has become a central issue for voters in the midterm elections since US President Donald Trump launched a joint attack on Israel and the Islamic Republic in February. The conflict has raised energy prices across the country and raised concerns about the cost of living.
President Trump also blamed the Iran war in part for Democrats’ sweeping victories in both houses of Congress, telling the Wall Street Journal, “Iran was part of it,” when asked if the war contributed to Republicans’ losses.
However, he insisted that calling out the war was the right decision, saying: “I don’t think about it. I did the right thing. I would have done it again.”
Although the US government has not explicitly stated plans to resume attacks on Iran, the US is preparing for possible new military action after the midterm elections, according to reports in the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times.
With their new majority, Democrats could pass a war powers resolution directing President Trump to end the conflict with Iran if Congress does not approve it.
In June, both chambers, then controlled by Republicans, passed concurrent resolutions to end the conflict, but the resolutions are not binding and have no legal force. Previous attempts to impose a binding war powers resolution have failed.
