Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf launched a sharp verbal attack on US Vice President JD Vance on Thursday, criticising the Donald Trump administration for attempting to evade responsibility after Vance cited the military conflict with Iran as a primary cause for the Republican Party’s defeat in the US midterm elections.
Responding to a social media statement in which Vance acknowledged that voters turned away from Republicans due to the ongoing war and economic fallout, Ghalibaf described the administration’s stance as possessing “losing gambler energy”.
Losing gambler energy, can’t walk away from the table. Boss is prepping the next war phase while America teeters on an Israel-First cliff. Skip the TED talk. Why not say this to your boss?
— محمدباقر قالیباف | MB Ghalibaf (@mb_ghalibaf) November 5, 2026
Challenging Vance directly, the Iranian diplomat questioned why the vice president had not confronted President Trump over Washington’s “Israel-first cliff” policy rather than offering public commentary.
The political exchanges follow significant Democratic gains in the November 3 midterm elections, where control of both the Senate and the House shifted. While Vance asserted that rising inflation, high energy prices, and military engagements alienated voters, President Trump defended the military campaign against Tehran, maintaining that preventing nuclear capability remained paramount despite the electoral setback.
Meanwhile, Iranian leadership, including Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, framed the election results as a public rejection of the war, warning that continued military aggression would meet expanded resistance.
