Ghalibaf warns White House to heed US midterm voters rejecting Iran war

Four oil tankers were destroyed by naval mines in the Strait of Hormuz, according to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The announcement came on Wednesday, November 4, one day after US officials confirmed American forces had struck Iran. The IRGC stated that two of the vessels remain on fire and that forces have seized the other two. The military claimed the ships attempted to transit a prohibited route in the southern section of the waterway.

The IRGC made similar claims early Tuesday, reporting that mines had destroyed three tankers and that its forces shot down an MQ-9 drone. These incidents followed US strikes on the island of Qeshm, which Iranian forces launched in response to earlier US aircraft activity. The BBC reported that it has not independently verified the IRGC's account of the ship destructions.

The military developments coincided with Republican losses in US midterm elections. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s parliamentary speaker and chief negotiator, interpreted the voting results as a rejection of war. Writing on X, Ghalibaf argued that American voters opposed the conflict due to conscience or rising living costs. He warned the White House not to ignore this public sentiment, threatening consequences if Washington did so.

President Donald Trump acknowledged on Tuesday that the war and higher petrol prices contributed to the poor performance of Republican congressional candidates. He told CBS News that he did not regret starting the conflict. Trump said the war would end when he decides it ends. In a prior Financial Times interview, he questioned whether the nations were technically at war and suggested a major new strike might be unnecessary. He reiterated on Fox News that Iran would never possess a nuclear weapon.

Negotiations to end the conflict, which began with joint US and Israeli strikes in February, have stalled after months of deadlock. Ghalibaf addressed parliament on Tuesday, stating that Iran would not surrender. He placed the responsibility for preventing further war on Washington. He warned that another US strategic error would shift the battlefield and complicate any exit strategy.

President Masoud Pezeshkian said his government sought to resolve the crisis through dialogue. He noted that renewed fighting benefits no party. Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz in response to the attack and stated that reopening depends on US acceptance of its peace demands. Foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said this week that Iran’s seven-step proposal had been condensed. He claimed the plan could be executed within two days if Washington agreed.