Iran’s Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei has described the United States’ military strength and international influence as being in irreversible decline under President Donald Trump, as Tehran issued fresh warnings against further American military action.
In a statement published on Telegram, Khamenei said that Washington’s military and diplomatic standing had weakened, arguing that the process of decline had accelerated under the current administration.
“As a result of the arrogance of the oppressors, the waning power and dominance of America has suffered an irreversible collapse in both the hard military power and the soft international power dimensions, and its process of disintegration has been accelerated.”
Mojtaba Khamenei
The remarks came as Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman, Esmaeil Baghaei warned Washington that further attacks against the country would not achieve a military victory.
In a post on X, Baghaei said that the United States “has been dragged into an illegal and horrific war against our country out of greed and in service of a deceitful entity.”
Baghaei attributed the conflict to what he called failed calculations and strategic mistakes, warning that the consequences of further escalation could be severe.
“The American people have sent a clear message to American officials; if the US administration continues to ignore reality and insists on proceeding with its dangerous approach, the repercussions of its miscalculations will exceed anything it has witnessed so far.”
Esmaeil Baghaei
He also rejected the prospect of Iran being intimidated into surrendering through military pressure. “Iran is not a country that can be understood through arrogance, intimidated by threats, or forced to surrender through aggression,” Baghaei added.
Vance Blames Iran War For Republican Midterm Losses
Meanwhile, US Vice President JD Vance has attributed the Republican Party’s losses in the midterm elections partly to the war against Iran, saying the conflict had alienated voters who supported Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
In a lengthy post on X, Vance said that concerns about the war, the cost of living and the administration’s relationship with Israel had contributed to voters shifting their support towards Democrats.
He cited feedback from a pollster who had predicted that Republicans would lose the generic congressional ballot by 13 percentage points.
According to Vance, the pollster found that some voters who had supported Trump in 2024 were dissatisfied with the administration and intended to vote for Democrats.
Vance said that respondents who had abandoned the Republican Party identified four main issues that could influence their decision to return; ending the war, addressing the cost of living and inflation, prioritising American interests, and changing the country’s relationship with Israel.
“Our voters showed up. And the above four reasons are why many of them voted for Democrats.”
JD Vance
He was more direct in his assessment of the election outcome, saying that the war was a central reason for the Republican losses. “The reason we lost is the war. The President himself said so last night,” Vance said.
However, the Vice President maintained that the military campaign against Iran was justified, despite acknowledging its political consequences for the Republican Party.
He argued that an honest assessment of the election results and the party’s future direction would have to address voters’ concerns about the conflict. “Everyone knows why we lost, and any honest conversation about where we go from here must start there,” he said.
Vance had reportedly expressed scepticism about the war launched by Trump in February, although the remarks in his post did not amount to a rejection of the administration’s decision to pursue military action.
War Becomes Political And Diplomatic Flashpoint
The statements reflect the growing political and diplomatic implications of the conflict, with Iranian officials using the election outcome to reinforce their criticism of Washington’s military approach.
For Tehran, Baghaei’s remarks serve as a warning against further escalation, while Khamenei’s statement presents the conflict as evidence of what he described as the declining influence of the United States.
In Washington, Vance’s comments point to concerns within the Republican leadership about the domestic political cost of the war, particularly among voters who supported Trump in the previous presidential election.
His remarks also place the conflict alongside economic concerns and US policy towards Israel as issues that Republican strategists may have to address following the midterm results.
Although Vance defended the decision to launch the war, his assessment suggests that its political consequences have become a subject of debate within the administration and the Republican Party.
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