US voters have stripped President Donald Trump’s Republican Party of control of Congress in the midterm elections, largely over the Iran war. Just hours after the Republicans’ defeat, thousands of Iranians gathered outside the former US embassy in Tehran on Wednesday for an annual anti-American rally, celebrating the outcome.

The rally in central Tehran echoed with chants of “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”. Demonstrators waved Iranian national flags and displayed banners strongly condemning Washington and Israel.

One large banner depicted US President Mr. Trump as a “blood-soaked bulldog” held on a chain, with the other end held by a devil-like figure resembling Israeli Prime Minister Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu.

Other banners called for revenge for the killing of Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. He was killed in US-Israeli airstrikes in late February, which triggered a war across the region.

A huge banner at the rally read, “The Iranian people have determined the price.” Beside it, rows of black oil barrels were displayed across a map of the world. The installation symbolised the sharp rise in global energy prices following Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route, after the outbreak of the war.

Mahmoudkhani, a 40-year-old participant, attended the rally held to commemorate the historic 1979 takeover of the US embassy and the subsequent hostage crisis.

“America has oppressed us for many years. But it has not been able to harm Iran,” he said.

The rally came just a day after Mr. Trump suffered a major political setback in the US midterm elections. High living costs, repeated changes in tariffs and growing public dissatisfaction over the conflict with Iran had turned the election into something of a referendum on his second administration.

Mr. Mahmoudkhani said, “We are certainly not happy about the sharp rise in oil prices. But at least we find some satisfaction in knowing that we are no longer suffering alone. For years, we have been the only ones bearing the burden of international sanctions.”

Tehran’s control over one of the world’s most important energy shipping routes has severely disrupted maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. Washington has responded by imposing a naval blockade on Iran’s major ports.

Majid Heydari, a 62-year-old Tehran-based textile trader, said the sharp rise in fuel prices had directly influenced American voters’ decisions.

“When Europe and the United States unite against us, we must also use this particular weapon — the decision to close the Strait of Hormuz. We had no other option but to put pressure on those governments by making their own people face severe hardships,” he said.

However, he expressed serious doubts about whether the political shift in the United States would bring any significant changes to the daily lives of ordinary Iranians.

Iranian government official Mohammad expressed a similar view. “I genuinely believe that it makes no difference to us whether Democrats or Republicans come to power there. Unfortunately, the US government’s hostile attitude towards the Iranian people has remained unchanged for the past 50 years,” he said.

Public Opposition to the War

In Tehran’s first official reaction to the US midterm election results, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s chief negotiator in talks with Washington, welcomed the people’s verdict.

In a post on social media platform X, he wrote, “Whether driven by conscience or the uncontrolled cost of living, the American people have clearly said ‘no to war’, and we fully support their message.”

However, diplomatic talks mediated by Qatar and Pakistan to establish lasting peace between Tehran and Washington have made little positive progress amid growing fears of renewed conflict.

Bagheri, the headteacher of a primary school in Tehran, expressed her frustration, saying the United States remained Iran’s greatest enemy under any circumstances.

“It makes no difference to us who takes power in the White House,” she said.

Source: AFP