ABU DHABI, Nov 6: Iranian officials were emboldened Wednesday by a stinging election setback for U.S. President Donald Trump, and world leaders waited to see whether Washington would end the war with Iran.
Meanwhile, the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen claimed they fired strikes on an airport in the Saudi capital of Riyadh. The Israeli military said it struck two suspects in Lebanon, killing one person.
Here is the latest news from the Middle East on Wednesday. Read our full coverage here.
Iranians vote in election, hardliners set to dominate
Iran’s leaders say election shows US voters rejected Trump’s war
Iranians celebrated after U.S. voters, concerned about the war and frustrated over rising prices for fuel, gave Democrats control of Congress in Tuesday’s vote — a major blow for Trump and his Republican Party.
Iran’s chief negotiator and parliament speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, wrote Wednesday on X that “Americans said NO TO WAR, and we endorse this message.” He warned that if the U.S. government ignores the vote for change, “it will learn our NO comes with a Nightmare.”
But Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, dismissed thoughts that the U.S. will change its approach to the Islamic Republic.
The broader region has been on edge for weeks over whether the U.S. will resume full-scale military operations against Iran. Talks are ongoing aimed at preventing renewed fighting.
Underscoring the mutual hostility, thousands marched through Tehran on Wednesday at a government-organized demonstration commemorating the anniversary of the 1979 takeover of the U.S. Embassy.
Pro-government demonstrators burned American and Israeli flags and chanted “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”
