Iran parliament speaker mocks Vance over post-midterm war post

Iran's parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, mocked US Vice President JD Vance on November 5, 2026, over a lengthy post on X in which Vance said the war with Iran caused the Republican Party's midterm election defeat. In the post, published less than 24 hours after the Republicans lost the midterms on Tuesday, November 3, Vance wrote: "The American people have spoken loudly and clearly. We must listen to them."

Vance's post listed four steps he said Republicans needed to take: end the conflict, focus on the cost of living, put America first and change the relationship with Israel. The article, published by Politico, described the post as Vance's first attempt since the election to distance himself from a war that President Donald Trump has continued to defend.

Responding to the post, the Iranian parliament speaker said: "The reason we lost is the war." Ghalibaf's reply accused Vance of showing "losing gambler energy" and urged him to raise his concerns with his boss rather than post online.

The report said the US and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, 2026, killing much of its top leadership. Iran retaliated by attacking US targets in the Middle East and threatening ships in the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for oil and gas shipments, according to the report. The standoff raised fuel and fertilizer prices, adding to US living costs and creating a difficult environment for Republicans in the midterms, the report said.