Iranian Leaders React to US Election Loss as Yemen Strikes Intensify

Iranian officials celebrated a shift in Washington power on Wednesday after U.S. voters granted Democrats control of Congress. The election result dealt a blow to President Donald Trump and his Republican Party, prompting Iranian leaders to interpret the vote as a rejection of the current war effort against Iran. The reaction came as tensions remained high in the Middle East, with new strikes reported in Yemen and Lebanon.

Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker, posted on X that Americans had voted against war. He stated, “Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message.” Qalibaf warned that if the U.S. government ignored the mandate for change, it would learn that Iran’s “NO comes with a Nightmare.” Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, the supreme leader, took a harder line by dismissing the idea that the United States would change its approach to the Islamic Republic.

The domestic sentiment in Tehran matched the rhetoric. Thousands of people marched through the city on Wednesday for a government-organized demonstration. The event marked the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy. Pro-government demonstrators burned American and Israeli flags and chanted slogans including “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”

In Yemen, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels claimed they targeted the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh. Spokesperson Yahya Saree said a ballistic missile caused major damage to the facility. He also claimed a drone hit a radar installation and another ballistic missile struck a command center in Jazan province. The Houthis did not provide evidence for the strikes, and the Saudi information ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Saudi civil defense issued alerts for potential danger in Riyadh, Jazan, and Najran.

Houthi health authorities reported at least seven people killed in an airstrike in Taiz province. The strike hit a house in the district of Maqbanah and wounded six other children. The Houthi-run health ministry blamed Saudi Arabia for the attack. Footage aired by Houthi media showed a heavily damaged concrete building with collapsed roof sections. This was the latest deadly strike since the civil war reignited more than three months ago.

In Lebanon, the Health Ministry said an Israeli drone strike on a motorcycle in the village of Qabrikha killed one person and wounded another. The Israeli military stated it struck two suspects who were observing soldiers. The attack was the first in nearly a month, as drone strikes have been rare since a U.S.-brokered ceasefire ended the latest conflict in late June.

U.N. peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix warned of a security vacuum in Lebanon when the UNIFIL mission ends on December 31. He expressed concern about the risk of Israeli and Lebanese forces facing each other without a third-party presence. Lacroix questioned who would monitor the Blue Line border and prevent unintended clashes. The U.N. Security Council is scheduled to discuss the issue on November 19.